In recent times, research examining the effect of weather on birds has focused predominantly on the impact of climate change (Crick, 2004; Dunn and Winkler, 2010; Şekercioğlu et al., 2012; Riddell et al., 2021) or extreme weather events (e.g., Easterling et al., 2000; Bailey et al., 2017), often overlooking the fact that even small-scale variation in weather conditions can affect almost every aspect of avian biology. Short-term or localised changes in temperature, rainfall and wind can strongly influence individual behaviour, life history, physiology and morphology, with consequences at the population and species levels (e.g., McGowan et al., 2004; Wiley and Ridley, 2016). Further study of these processes is likely to play a key role in shaping our understanding of the mechanisms by which birds respond to climate change, but also has broader implications across ecology, evolution and conservation.

Birds are an ideal group in which to investigate the effects of weather because they occur in almost every ecosystem across the globe, they exploit a wide variety of food resources, and thousands of bird species migrate between vastly different environments during the course of their annual life cycle (Elkins, 1983; Both et al., 2006; Gordo, 2007). This Research Topic brings together articles from researchers across the globe who take a range of approaches to advance our understanding of the impact of weather on birds. The contributions take the form of original research papers, review papers that synthesise our understanding of topical issues or perspectives that highlight issues warranting further research attention. The articles cover three main aspects: (1) the influence of weather on birds during nest building and incubation; (2) the influence of weather on birds during offspring growth; and (3) the impact of weather on birds during the non-breeding season.