July was the hottest recorded month in the history of the United States. Unless you were living in some icy pocket of the country (in which case, tell me where), you felt it. And temperatures in August, especially in the Southwest, have continued to be inhospitable.
With climate change expected to continue unabated, things are only going to get worse in the coming years.
While we can all stay indoors in front of fans and air-conditioners, birds are among the wildlife negatively affected by the soaring heat. So, if you’re interested in offering some relief to birds, here are a few easy tips you can follow.
Set up a birdbath in your yard
Water is of utmost importance to all animals, but it’s especially important when the temperatures are overwhelming. Birds need water to drink, but they also flock to water sources to cool themselves off. If you set up a birdbath on a hot day, you’ll see numerous birds walking through the water or shaking around in it.
Keep birdbaths full of water
While having a birdbath in your yard is a great first step, keeping it full of clean, fresh water is equally important. Water evaporates quickly throughout the day when the sun is bearing down, so even though you might fill it completely in the morning, by the afternoon, it could be all gone.
Add misters or fountains
Continuing on the water theme, since it’s one of the best things you can do to help the birds during a heat wave, setting up misters or small fountains will make your yard the place to be.
As stated before, birds love getting wet on hot days, and the presence of misters drastically reduces their body temperatures. It could also be fun to watch the birds play in it.
Provide shade
Another thing that really helps birds escape the heat is shade. You can offer shade to birds in a number of ways. For a long-term solution that will both yield shade and make your yard more appealing, plant trees and shrubbery. This requires more thought and care, but it’s definitely worth it. If not, place the birdbath or feeder underneath a canopy, so birds won’t be in direct sunlight.
Don’t forget food
With all the focus on water during the heat, many people forget about providing food at feeders. When the temperatures soar, birds will stay cool by being less active. If you give them easy access to fresh food, they will have to use up less energy to go searching for it.
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Even if you don’t have a bird bath, you can still help them by pouring water with ice cubes in a spot where puddles collect. I do this at the end of the driveway for them , especially after seeing birds with open beaks. They seem to appreciate it. Had house sparrows, gold finches, the cardinal, mourning doves, and then some all bathing together within fifteen minutes. Poor little tiny guys.
My research call for not more than 3 inches of water in a bird watering/bath station.
Am writing an article for All Animals magazine about DIY chilling stations for wildlife and your comments caught my eye. Let me know if you are available for an interview. Thank you!…Ruth rjohnson@humanesociety.org