Why some bird flocks are fleeing the Phoenix area

by Marshall Terrill, Arizona State University
August 5, 2025

Don’t be surprised if you start seeing fewer feathered friends in Phoenix.

Both local and migratory birds are spending less time in the Valley due to climate change and urbanization, according to a new study conducted by Arizona State University researchers.

They’ve discovered these flocks are fleeing the desert-city ecosystem for places with more friendly temperatures and less asphalt and concrete.

But they’re not fleeing forever. Researchers have also found that some bird species respond positively to changing landscape conditions and suggest that future land management practices may incorporate the benefits that city-dwelling wildlife provide to people.

It’s all spelled out in a recent article published by the Ecological Society of America in the journal Ecological Applications.

Keep reading: https://news.asu.edu/20250805-environment-and-sustainability-why-some-birds-flocks-are-fleeing-phoenix-area

Read the Ecological Applications paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70063