Birds are struggling to survive as temperatures rise.

Hundreds of animals, as well as birds, die due to the scorching heat and lack of access to clean drinking water. Veterinarians say animals and birds suffer from dehydration due to rising temperatures in cities. Birds and animals faint and die from the heat. According to veterinarians and animal rights activists, dehydrated birds are falling from the sky in India as record heat waves dry up water sources. In the western Indian state of Gujarat, where the current average temperature is 110°F, dozens of high-flying birds, including pigeons, are falling from the sky every day, a newspaper reported. One of the most serious consequences of climate change is the dramatic rise in global temperatures. But now, findings from a recent study show that songbirds — especially young ones — are vulnerable to fatal dehydration when heat robs them of water resources. According to information provided by Bai Sakarbai Dinsha Petit Hospital for Animals in Parel, scorching heat not only affects us but also harms birds and animals. There is a 30-40% increase in dehydration cases in birds and animals in April as compared to March.

Not only humans but also animals and birds are suffering due to the increasing heat of the sun in the city, since the last month, a large number of cases of dehydration have been recorded in animal hospitals and welfare institutions. Between March and May, 1,224 birds were found dehydrated in Mumbai. The reasons are rising temperatures, scarce water sources, and fewer trees in the city. Temperatures in summer often cross 45 degrees Celsius, which is deadly for birds and animals. It is very painful to see so many stray cows and dogs desperately searching for water and drinking dirty water from gutters without getting clean water in the newspapers.

Climate change is affecting bird migration as observed in the last few decades. Water scarcity affects all living things equally. Extreme dehydration, extremely low energies, and long flights in heat breaks are detrimental to bird health. Another reason for the decline in bird numbers in summer is drought and low levels of nutrients in the soil. As birds consume fruits that do not have sufficient water content due to poor soil, they become dehydrated and lose energy while flying long distances.

Birds need to replace that water, and it takes serious effort to replenish their reserves with juicy fruit, juicy bugs, or another water source. If they can’t find water, the birds sometimes die in the heat—a phenomenon that’s becoming more common as climate change causes an increase in hot days and their severity in many places. The scorching heat in the Indian subcontinent has highlighted what many experts say are the effects of climate change, which has increased the frequency and intensity of heat waves affecting countries including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.