Heat wave taking toll on wild birds in Inland Empire

JURUPA VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Birds have simply been falling out of their nests in the Inland Empire, and animal experts believe the heat wave is to blame.

Diane Falconer, a volunteer with Hope Wildlife Rescue near Corona, described the situation as a total crisis.

"Very rare, very, I've never picked up that many in one day," she said.

Temps soared to above 110 degrees this past Monday in Riverside. That's when Falconer said she picked up seven downed birds.

Over the past week, the folks at Riverside County Animal Services have dealt with more than 40 calls for downed birds. The presumed cause? Our recent heat wave.

"As we all know, that last heat wave was pretty brutal," said John Welsh with the Riverside County Animal Services.

Experts say the birds appear to be falling out of their nests.

"Maybe they're going out on a limb just to escape the hotness of the nest? I don't know," Falconer said.

Some of the birds did not survive. The birds that did make it are now being nursed back to health at bird rescues around Southern California.

"Once they learn how to hunt, then they are releasable. So, this can take weeks," Falconer said

Falconer says if you come across a downed bird, it's best to call animal control. That's something to keep in mind with temperatures expected to rise yet again over the weekend.