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Bird protectors alert: Heat makes Kaiserslautern bird sick!
In Kaiserslautern, more and more wild birds are suffering from extreme heat. Reception stations sound the alarm and seek support.
Bird protectors alert: Heat makes Kaiserslautern bird sick!
The current extreme temperatures in Kaiserslautern and the region are not only affecting people's moods, but also the well-being of local wild birds. The bird rescue stations there are sounding the alarm and reporting a worrying increase in animals in need of help. Sandra Labenski from Taubenhilfe Kaiserslautern warns that young birds in particular, such as swifts, swallows and sparrows, are suffering from the heat. With temperatures under roof tiles that can reach over 50 degrees Celsius, breeding conditions are at risk. SWR reports that Many birds rely on active support.
Kirsten Dresler from the Mauerseglerhilfe Apus e.V. confirms that the breeding season of the swifts lasts until July and that the chicks now urgently need air. The combination of water shortage, heat and insect deaths has drastically worsened the situation for birds in the region. In a single day, Dresler received over 200 messages from concerned citizens raising awareness of the animals' plight. So it's high time to raise awareness!
Committed bird conservationists in the region
Kurt Wilhelm takes loving care of various wild birds and at his peak had over 30 birds in care. Labenski and her colleague have also looked after over 60 wild birds at the same time this summer. The efforts of bird protectors are priceless, but their capacities have long since been exhausted. Melanie Wagner from the Society for Nature Conservation and Ornithology Rhineland-Palatinate e.V. draws attention to the decreasing food supply for the birds and complains about the overload of the dedicated staff, who would like more support. “We urgently need financial help to raise the birds,” says Labenski.
To help their feathered friends get through the heat, citizens can take a few simple measures: offer watering holes with shallow water, avoid greasy food such as suet balls in summer and immediately take young birds out of the blazing sun. For featherless birds, it is important to wear gloves and provide a source of heat without using red lights. In such cases, a wild bird station should be contacted quickly.
Long-term challenges for the bird world
The problems for the bird population are not getting any easier due to climate change and the increasing extinction of insects. In the long term, these developments could lead to many bird species in the region becoming endangered. Although the extreme heat may soon subside, concerns about wild birds remain. Especially in view of the upcoming autumn, it is crucial that both local initiatives and the population pull together to achieve improvements for our animal companions.
Looking beyond national borders: the weather in other parts of the world is also being put to the test. For example, the travel portal TripAdvisor has published an overview of Santa Barbara, which has 96 accommodation options. The weather there has also been rather dry for several months, with July and October being the months with the fewest rainy days. TripAdvisor informs that January is the least visited month and there are exciting holidays such as July 4th, US Independence Day.
A common thread runs through the topics - whether in Kaiserslautern or Santa Barbara, the weather has its advantages and challenges. We can only hope that nature and its creatures will soon return to a little more normality.