Savannah: Are birds getting smaller? Well, sort of. Bird populations are declining overall, but some of the smaller species are thriving in spite of the climate crisis. And that's not super surprising given that their ancestors (the smallest theropods) survived the impact that killed the other dinosaurs. So, they're scrappy little things, and the smallest ones are getting even scrappier.

Around 57% of bird populations researched in one study appear to be having fewer babies, but around 43% are having more babies. And the birds that are having more babies are smaller, more sedentary ones while larger, migratory birds are seeing the declines. And the weird part is that this trend seems to correlate with the rising global temperatures.

Warmer weather may give smaller birds an advantage, like more food during breeding season and more vegetation for concealing nests. Whereas larger birds may be slow to adapt to these changes because they mature more slowly. So, just as the past favored smaller theropods, the future may belong to smaller birds.

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