Birds falling off trees- Is it the heat?

"They are falling out of trees." Those are the words of Diane Falconer, a volunteer with the wild bird rescue organization Hope Wildlife, trying to explain the strange spike in wild bird injury calls in Riverside County. Employees in the main shelter of the County Animal Services are asking themselves "What's up with all the birds?"

More than a dozen birds, mostly hawks but at least one crow, have ended up at the Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley. Some were found languishing in back yards, after falling off trees and " struggling to fly away, only to exhaust themselves" says Falconer.

Strange spike in bird calls: Video is below

It's uncertain what is causing the spike. Riverside County Animal Services Public Information director John Walsh says they do handle a handful of calls related to injured wild birds each month, but shelter employees have never seen such a high population of birds in the main shelter. Since June 14 th , they've handled more than 40 bird related calls. Their theory? That the heat wave which caused temperatures to spike above 120 degrees in the area played a major role.

Diane Falconer agrees. Hope Wildlife, which is certified as a wild bird rehabilitation organization near Corona is helping out with the large number of birds. They seem dazed, but most are not injured, she explains. Many are fledglings, she explains, holding in the video provided by Animal Services, a hawk that is barely showing feathers.

The good news, says Welsh, is that all of the birds transferred to Hope Wildlife will likely recover and be returned back to the wild. If anyone has any information that could help them answer why the birds are falling off trees, or to report a bird in trouble, please call 951-358-7045.

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