40 degrees Celsius in the UK causes birds to fall from the sky, many animals die

Many animals have fallen victim to the UK's super heatwave. This phenomenon in the long run will affect the lives of many species, changing the natural ecosystem.

Recently, animal rescue centers have received countless calls, birds falling from the sky and animals in nature reserves dying due to severe heat waves.

Great damage

Experts fear that record-breaking temperatures could cause insect populations to decline, with bumblebees and butterflies being the hardest hit.

Dehydrated hedgehogs, chicks, fox cubs and grass snakes are some of the vulnerable species rescued by the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA), meaning that the extent of damage in 40 degrees Celsius is very big.

A dehydrated owl is being cared for at a wildlife center in France. (Photo: AFP).

'Our hotline is busier than usual. On July 25, we received 7,186 calls, up from 4,416 calls on July 24,' said Evie Button, head of science in the wildlife department at the RSPCA.

There have been many reports of flying birds falling from the sky over London. Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue near Didcot said it was unable to accept any more animals as the heat wave hit.

Mr. Button said: "Often you won't see the impact of events like this directly because it's the nature of wildlife to hide when they're sick or injured. Only when they're in good condition. very bad, people just saw it and called for help."

The most complicated case is the wildfire in the Wild Ken Hill reserve in Norfolk, where 33 hectares of burning date palm trees are located; The nests of the turtledoves, the turtle warbler, and the reed warbler were all burned up.

Experts say reptiles and amphibians can burn to death, but most birds escape, except for those that nest at the end of the season.

Mr. Dominic Buscall, project manager commented: "I saw some mother birds flying back into the fire, maybe that's their strong instinct. I fear this situation will happen again this year. Weather very dry, it's only mid-July but no rain forecast for this week."

Start to change behavior

What's happening in the UK is just one part of the big picture, as heatwaves are becoming more common due to the pressures of the climate crisis. Europe has been on fire in recent times, fires have occurred in some countries such as Spain, Greece and France. According to forecasts, heat waves will occur 12 times more often by 2040 than normal.

Animals around the world are changing their behavior to adapt to the weather. Research shows that grizzly bears in Alberta, Canada are looking for closed, shaded vegetation to avoid the heat while brown bears in Greece are more active at night. The "survivors" will be animals that can withstand the heat but will suffer negative effects such as disease and reduced growth.

John Spicer, professor of marine fauna at the University of Plymouth, said the tidal area of ​​Plymouth Harbor, which is a frequent feeding ground for hermit crabs and oysters at low tide, was more sparse during the heatwave. The remaining crabs looked sluggish, some unresponsive.

Mr. Spicer said: 'Animals in the intertidal zone are very sluggish.' He observed that sand-hopping beetles had to wait for the heat to cool off instead of regenerating nutrients, and occasionally there would be waves of hundreds of dead. dried.

He added: 'If they survive this heat stress, they can be injured or the energy source will turn into a source of maintenance instead of growth and reproduction.

Just outside Plymouth, three familiar species of seaweed have been affected by the heat. Prof Spicer said: 'Still living, immobile creatures are most often affected, such as barnacles, clams, sponges or sea anemones.

There have been reports of rare purple feathered butterflies risking their lives from the tops of oak trees into ponds to add moisture. Britain is concerned that the heat wave will scorch the plants that feed on the insects, kill young caterpillars, and cause severe declines in some species.

Wildflowers in Eton, Berkshire, are the habitat of many insects. (Image: Shutterstock).

Dave Goulson, a professor of biology at the University of Sussex, said bumblebees would also be hit hard. They are large in size and have a ruffled coat to suit living in cool environments. At a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, it will be difficult for them to find food.

Professor Goulson said: 'They'll get hot and won't be able to fly. This is like constantly flapping your wings 200 times a second while wearing a fur coat.' Bumblebees have food stores in their nests to last a few days, but they will die if time drags on. extended.

For some species of British bumblebees, it is very difficult to survive a 2°C rise in temperature. In the best-case scenario, there will be 7 basic bumblebee species predicted to be unable to survive in many lowlands in the region. Older brother.

In general, reptiles and insects are tropical animals, which will be severely affected because they cannot control their body temperature. Species that live in cities that are subject to the heat island effect will experience more extreme temperatures.

The last solution

Ecologist Natalie Pilakouta from the University of Aberdeen, said: 'The natural environment has lots of trees, vegetation and bodies of water, which will provide a lot of cool air and shade. We should place garden feeders, water stations and water tanks to help wildlife weather the heat wave.

Birds in Dyers Common, Buckinghamshire face a heat wave.

Mike Morecroft, author of the IPCC report on Climate Change 2022, suggests conservationists should create landscapes that can better withstand heat waves. He said: 'What we are very interested in is trying to cautiously aim to preserve the so-called outliers from climate change. Also, places closer to the coast are cooler, so the sea is a buffer for temperature fluctuations."

Incorporating water into the landscape will provide good heat resistance during hot dry summers and water storage in the event of flooding. This will help prevent wildfires and reduce the impact of drought when hot weather soars. Because drought, heat, and wildfires all occur at the same time, it's hard to distinguish the effects of each.

However, it is urgent greenhouse gas reductions that come first. Spicer said mitigation and adaptation strategies make a lot of sense and give us confidence, but won't prevent the coming "collision".

'The speed at which we hit the wall is determined by the amount of greenhouse gases released. The problem is how we avoid that collision but how fast we want to move. Cutting greenhouse gases is the right thing to do, even at the cost," he said.