Mass bird death event in Seattle attributed to record heat Monday
State wildlife authorities said dozens of juvenile terns fled the heat by jumping off an industrial roof, injuring and killing many.
SEATTLE – State Wildlife officials monitor a colony of Caspian terns in an industrial building in Seattle after extreme heat appears to have caused the deaths of dozens of seabirds.
Washington Department Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) investigators believe the record temperatures on Monday, when Seattle hit 108 degrees, caused dozens of juvenile terns to flee rooftop nests for cooler shelters. Since the young birds cannot fly yet, they fell on the sidewalk and risked injury or death.
Conservation scientist Kersti Muul, who works with the Seattle Audubon Society, was called in when the mass mortality event was discovered Monday night.
“They were stuck on the ground, the asphalt burned them,” she said.
Up to 90 are believed to have died on the premises near a concrete plant on Highway 99 south of downtown. The PAWS Wildlife Center received approximately 50 live birds. Some were too injured and euthanized, and between 16 and 20 were treated and brought back on Tuesday.
Wildlife officials hope more people are healthy enough to return in the coming days.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it”, says PAWS veterinarian Nicki Rosenhagen. “And of course that’s unprecedented heat, right. So this is not a situation that we had to deal with beforehand. “
She said all birds are fledglings. Many were treated for burns to their feet. You will now be given anti-inflammatory drugs and fluid support, she said.
“Then food support and rest and just give them some time to see if they can recover,” said Rosenhagen.
The record temperatures of the Northwest are the result of a “heat dome” covering the region – a high pressure bubble that pushed highs into three-digit numbers for days. While heat extremes are possible, human-made climate change increases the likelihood and severity of such events.
Muul hopes that the gruesome scene is a reminder that climate change is already happening, with serious consequences for humans and animals.
“It was unavoidable in the short term,” she said. “But I think in the long run there are definitely things we can do now to prevent this from happening. You know, it’s not really unique because these things happen more and more often. The weather is changing, it’s getting hotter. “
“Extreme heat is a known climate-related threat that can be particularly harmful to birds during endangered breeding seasons,” reiterated the Seattle and Washington Audubon Society chapters in a joint statement. “This heartbreaking scene should serve as a warning of the toll human-made climate change is taking on the plants, animals, ecosystems and people of our planet. The National Audubon Society has projected that 108 species of birds are endangered in King County.” Consequences of climate change and are threatened with extinction. “
On Tuesday, WDFW wildlife biologist Chris Anderson examined the colony and said in 15 years of work he had never seen young birds jump from such a height. Heat events can occur in their natural habitat on island beaches, Anderson said, but he believes the roof increased the effects and consequences.
Now the department is balancing another colony disruption – which would be detrimental to the surviving birds – with access to other injured pups.
“We do everything we can and the most important thing is the birds that have moved from one ‘island’ to another alongside the unfortunate jumpers,” he said. “This is what urban wildlife has to deal with.”
Heat is believed to be the main problem, he added, although it is always possible for a predator or human to startle the colony.
Although young birds are still roaming the ground in the area, he said it looks like the adults are feeding them. More than 1,000 are still on the roof, said Anderson.
WDFW is asking people to avoid the area to protect the remaining birds from further disturbance.