In light of the current global extinction crisis, understanding how and where drivers of population decline will take effect has never been more important. Climate change is expected to be a major driver of species extinctions in the 21st century. Average changes in greenhouse gas concentrations are expected to produce directional changes in climatic conditions, and increase the level of inter-annual variability in these conditions. Droughts are a significant component of such climatic variability, and can have a devastating impact on animal populations.