This article describes how researchers discovered that southwestern willow flycatchers in southern California have evolved in response to climate change. Southwestern willow flycatcher (SWFL) populations are threatened by climate change and habitat loss. By sequencing DNA from historical SWFL samples and comparing these to modern samples, researchers determined that modern SWFL were more likely to have beneficial genes that help them cope with changing climate.

A look at the evolutionary response to climate change in the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) using whole-genome comparisons between historic and modern specimens from California. While introgression led genomes of neighboring E. traillii extimus populations (California and Arizona) to become more similar, the specific loci linked to climate shifted in a way consistent with climate adaptation rather than becoming more similar to those of neighboring populations.

An in-depth System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species modeling effort that looks at two dozen threatened and endangered species and how they may be affected by a changing climate. The authors provide a numerical scale of risk based on possible changes in habitat, physiology, phenology, and interactions across a scale of uncertainties. Results and discussion of the most critical factor for each species are presented.

A Maximum Entropy presence-only habitat model developed to look at future climate-based habitat changes (2030, 2060, 2090) in the Rio Grande Corridor in NM for Lucy’s warbler, Southwestern willow flycatcher, and the Western yellow-billed cuckoo. Biophysical characteristics like distance to water proved to be more important than climate in habitat suitability predictions, but climate led to 60% declines of suitable habitat by 2090. For all species, suitable habitat tended to shrink over time within the study area leaving a few core areas of high importance.

A look at the potential for  southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) adaptations to rising temperatures from an ecological genomics perspective. Compared to other willow flycatcher populations results indicate small, fragmented populations of the southwestern willow flycatcher will have to adapt most to keep pace with climate change.