Heat waves affect baby birds too. What to do if you find a chick on the ground

Young raptors are jumping out of their nests early as the extreme heat becomes unbearable, and wildlife rescue centers are getting dozens of calls a day from people who found the chicks on the ground.

Scorching, three-digit temperatures take a toll on all living creatures, but some are better adapted or better prepared for it than others. Baby hawks, and other younglings, can fall or jump out of the nest when the heat becomes too intense.

Nests, high up in the canopy, are often too exposed to the sun, and wildlife experts suggest the number of baby raptors in need of rehabilitation is rising because heat is arriving earlier when many chicks are still in the nest and can't fly in search of water or shade.

In Phoenix, Liberty Wildlife, a volunteer-based organization, recorded an intake of over 7,000 birds last summer. The Tucson Wildlife Center, another nonprofit, took in about 200 chicks in just one weekend. On Monday, as an excessive heat warning came into effect, the rescue center in Tucson got over 20 calls just over one morning, a hotline operator said.

"Hawk-pocalypse”, is how the coordinator of Shasta Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in California described the extreme-heat season of 2021. They took in about 10 times the usual number of baby raptors when temperatures reached three digits. Some died from organ failure due to dehydration or injuries from the fall.

It's important people don't move the birds unless it's an emergency, rescue groups say. Offering it water and calling a wildlife rescue center before acting is always better.

What bird species are affected?

All bird species suffer to some degree, but how much depends on the individual's health and life stage.

"Our desert birds are well adapted to heat, and extremely high temperatures in late June are expected," said Jennie MacFarland with the Tucson Audubon Society. They avoid peak temperatures by staying in the shade and within thick vegetation.

"It is individual birds that are in poor health or under some type of physical distress that are likely to perish during a heat wave."

There are cases where adult birds, disoriented by the heat, crash into cars, or appear on the front steps of homes, lying on the ground to cool off.

It's normal for young birds to leave the nest "before they look ready to humans," said MacFarland. Adult birds can continue to feed and care for the baby outside of the nest.

"However, extreme heat can cause young birds to bail out of a nest earlier than normal to avoid fatal overheating, especially if the nest isn't sufficiently shaded," she added. "When very high temperatures occur at unexpected times, this behavior can be widespread and cause alarm among urban residents."

Cooper's hawks, red-tailed hawks and screech owls account for most of the intakes in rescue centers. Their nests are higher and falls can cause serious injuries. Raptors can be more noticeable than other birds, which might nest farther from houses or hide in the shade of the brush, suggested a Tucson Wildlife Center staff member.

But the center takes into rehabilitation a wide number of species, including cactus wrens, American kestrels, quails, mockingbirds, woodpeckers and black-crowned night herons.

"We actually got some baby bats in," said Hubert Parker, with the Tucson Wildlife Center. "Same thing, they jumped. They were in a place that was too hot for them. It affects all of them."

Past heat waves: 3 birds of prey released into wild after rescue from summer heat

Seeing wildlife in distress also has to do with the unnatural urban environment and with our power of observation.

"We had our biggest intake year when COVID was going on, because people were home and they saw things," said Parker. It is a matter of awareness.

"The species we get the most reports of mortality during high temperatures are doves," said MacFarland. "I'm not sure if they are actually more susceptible or more likely to be noticed by residents since they are commonly found in yards and gardens."

Extreme heat can also affect chicks in the wild but human observers are mostly in cities. And desert cities are hotter than surrounding wildlands, she added.

What should you do if you find a chick?

If you find a baby bird seemingly in distress, you should watch it and call a rescue center before you act.

Not all chicks and young birds that are off the nest need rescuing. If the bird has no injuries, it likely just needs time to recover in the shade. Specialists can walk you through what is best to do.

Often the parents are watching over them close by, and wildlife specialists discourage taking them away to a rescue center unless necessary. Rescue centers sometimes suggest a 24-hour watch period.

You should try to see from afar if the bird has injuries, and put a dish of water out.

If the staff at the rescue center identify an emergency, they can direct you on how to take the bird to them for rehabilitation.

"You can help birds and other native animals during this and future heat waves by putting out dishes of water in your yard. Put several rocks in the dish so animals like baby quail don't accidentally drown," MacFarland added.

Find the wildlife rescue center closest to you in this resource guide from Arizona Wildlife Federation.

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Clara Migoya covers environment issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.

Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Heat waves affect birds too. What to do if you find a baby hawk.