With a 25-day streak of days above 40 degrees C (105 F) in Phoenix, Arizona, fires raging on the Greek islands, and a national record of 52 degrees C (125 F) in northwest China, the Northern Hemisphere has had its hottest summer on record for the past 120,000 years. And some birds in these regions are now struggling to survive the record heat.
Although birds can fly, many of them do not attempt to escape the boiling regions. Even if they did, other species already occupy cooler territories and would prevent them from settling. Birds are often specifically adapted to their own ecosystems, and over the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, birds are nesting, incubating eggs or have young chicks in their nest. Throughout the current heatwave in Arizona, animal shelters began reporting that many nestlings had been found on the ground. It is likely these young birds were attempting to escape the direct heat from their nests and as they are too young to fly, did not survive crashing to the ground. (Phoenix is too hot for some baby birds, as the heat wave persists – The Washington Post).
Birds that live in environments which are often exposed to extreme heat, such as arid habitats in Australia, can tolerate these temperatures to a degree, moving away from tree tops to cool shady hollows. However, as temperatures soar past all known records, birds are increasingly at risk of mortality from dehydration and hyperthermia. Research from Australia also shows that smaller birds are at greater risk of mortality. In January 2009, birds such as Budgerigars and Zebra Finches died in their thousands due to air temperatures exceeding 45 degrees C (113 F). (Avian mortality risk during heat waves will increase greatly in arid Australia during the 21st century).
What ongoing heatwaves could mean for bird populations around the globe
Although birds can fly, many of them do not attempt to escape the boiling regions. Even if they did, other species already occupy cooler territories and would prevent them from settling. Birds are often specifically adapted to their own ecosystems, and over the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, birds are nesting, incubating eggs or have young chicks in their nest. Throughout the current heatwave in Arizona, animal shelters began reporting that many nestlings had been found on the ground. It is likely these young birds were attempting to escape the direct heat from their nests and as they are too young to fly, did not survive crashing to the ground. (Phoenix is too hot for some baby birds, as the heat wave persists – The Washington Post).
Birds that live in environments which are often exposed to extreme heat, such as arid habitats in Australia, can tolerate these temperatures to a degree, moving away from tree tops to cool shady hollows. However, as temperatures soar past all known records, birds are increasingly at risk of mortality from dehydration and hyperthermia. Research from Australia also shows that smaller birds are at greater risk of mortality. In January 2009, birds such as Budgerigars and Zebra Finches died in their thousands due to air temperatures exceeding 45 degrees C (113 F). (Avian mortality risk during heat waves will increase greatly in arid Australia during the 21st century).
What ongoing heatwaves could mean for bird populations around the globe