Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2020

41 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com feature many species,” stated Johnson. The brown-headed nuthatch is bird found locally that could be vulnerable across their range, of which South Carolina comprises a big chunk. The birds prefer living in an open pine forest habitat and have a distinguishing call resembling a “dog chewing on a squeaky toy,” noted Johnson. There are also birds sighted here only during winter, such as the tundra swan, whose winter range may be impacted by rising temperatures. Tundra swans nest far up north in threatened areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge but migrate as far south as South Carolina in winter. “It’s amazing that birds found in the Arctic are found here in South Carolina,” commented Johnson. “Technology is now allowing us to study birds like never before.” While the main threats from climate change in South Carolina are sea level rise, flooding and extreme weather events, Johnson added that it is important to understand that birds face multiple threats in addition to climate change. Many species are already threatened by habitat loss or human disturbance, including shorebirds like the piping plover (considered vulnerable in the context of this report) that winter in our state and can be spotted in Mount Pleasant and the islands. THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE So why does the life of a brown-headed nuthatch matter to us? Birds are an indicator of the overall health of our environment. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk harm humans, too. Rising temperatures could alter migratory patterns of tundra swans and other birds. Photo by Wink Gaines. Brown-headed nuthatches are found locally here in South Carolina. Photo by Matt Tillett.