An unprecedented heatwave in the Pacific Northwest resulted in an unprecedented number of juvenile birds jumping to their death to escape the scorching heat where their nests had been built. As reported by King 5 News, approximately 90 juvenile Caspian Turns died, and many were injured, after jumping out of their nests in an industrial part of Seattle, Washington.
The tragic situation took place on Monday, when the temperature soared to 108 degrees. The birds, not yet able to fly, jumped from their nests in an effort to escape the extreme heat on the roof of an industrial building – but most died when they hit the ground. Survivors, were taken to the PAWS Wildlife Center, but of the 50 taken in, only 16-20 survived.
PAWS Wildlife Veterinarian Nicki Rosenhagen commented on the deaths, stating:
I’ve never encountered anything like this, and of course, this is unprecedented heat, right. And so this is not a situation that we’ve had to face before.”
Many of the surviving birds suffered burns on their feet – they are being treated with fluids and anti-inflammatories, and experts are hopeful that they will make a full recovery and can be returned to the wild.
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