This summer’s scorching temperatures have not only had an impact on Oklahoma’s human residents, but on wildlife as well. A WildCare Oklahomaa wildlife rehabilitation center in Noble, the heat is causing an influx of juvenile kites from Mississippi.
Mississippi kites are raptors that nest in the southern US before flying to South America for the winter, but when it gets too hot, kite hatchlings jump onto their high-canopy nests to escape the heat .
Oklahoma has faced record temperatures this summer, and as residents brace for another round of hot summer days with highs approaching 100 degrees, more kites continue to appear en masse at the rehab center.
Director Inger Giuffrida said the best thing to do when a baby kite is found is to call WildCare.
“Because the Mississippi kite nests are in the treetops, two things happen: One, they land pretty well,” Giuffrida said. “And then secondly, it can be very difficult to get them back into the nest.”
Giuffrida recommends taking the following steps if a juvenile raptor is encountered:
- Call WildCare at 405-872-9338.
- Look for the bird’s parents around you. They will often be crying or circling overhead, or may even bombard humans who come close to their babies to protect them.
- If you can see the nest, take a picture of it.
- Gently place the kite in a box with a towel and a secure lid.
- Get it to WildCare as quickly as possible and provide staff with any relevant information about the bird’s parents and nest.
Giuffrida said that even though the height of the nests can make re-nesting difficult, there are workarounds. Makeshift nests may be built on lower branches, and the raptor parents will often continue to care for their young in the new nest. But not in all cases it is possible to reunite the kites with their families, and these juveniles stay in the center to be raised with the other kites.
Other extreme weather events have affected Mississippi kites in recent years. Giuffrida said last February severe winter storm it delayed the arrival of spring insects, and without those insects, the kites lost a primary food source. Ultimately, that meant many kites delayed having babies until it was too late.
“We saw babies arriving even in early September, which was very tragic because they don’t have enough time to grow and fletch and be ready to fly back to South America,” Giuffrida said. “And a lot of those Mississippi kites were lost last year because of the extreme weather we had.”
Kites require 24-hour care, with feeding every two hours during the day. Giuffrida said the center needs more volunteers to fill the kite feeding schedule. Information about volunteering It can be found here.
Giuffrida said the facility has admitted 109 Mississippi kites so far this year, of which 52 are fledglings or near-fledglings. And there could be more on the way: He said that in 2020, 60% of his comets arrived after August 2. That year, WildCare admitted 242 kites.
In the future, as the effects of climate change continue to manifest in severe weather events, Giuffrida said delicate ecosystems and the wildlife populations that inhabit them could face irreparable damage.
“It’s just the interconnectedness of the weather. It has direct and immediate impacts on things like insect populations. And people say, ‘Well, who cares, it’s just bugs?’” Giuffrida said. “Well, insects pollinate our food and provide a primary food source for thousands of different animal species. And therefore it has a direct impact on us. And maybe we didn’t feel it last year, but too many years of [extreme weather]And we definitely will.”