Some songbirds now migrate east to west. Climate change may play a role

A dramatic shift in some Richard’s pipits’ winter plans might be linked to a warming Europe

image of a Richard’s pipit amid grass

A Richard’s pipit (Anthus richardi) stands in grass in Fréjus, France. Larger numbers of the songbirds have been wintering in southern Europe in recent decades, researchers say.

Gaëtan Jouvenez

As the chill of autumn encroaches on Siberia’s grasslands, Richard’s pipits usually begin their southward trek to warmer latitudes.