Foremost victims of the Pakistan’s sweltering summer

Since decenniums when the global temperatures are rising and melting the glaciers, summers in Pakistan are getting torrid hot by the years. Anthropogenic affairs are instigating global warming at a rate of knots and fleeting winters left unrelieved. Region suffers at temperatures above 40ᵒC and occasionally soaring to 52ᵒC / 53ᵒC, the fourth highest figure ever recorded on earth. Annual rise of 1ᵒC was estimated in Pakistan few years back and now conditions have gone to the dogs. Various international organizations have ranked Pakistan among top 10 countries most affected by the searing heat wave. Atmosphere hot as Hades roasts entire life thriving in the country and birds at foremost fall victim to the heat stroke in blazing summers. As the region is blessed with rich native avifauna and serves hub for hundreds of migratory birds, the heat wave racks and ruins their survival amid flight before scorching rays could hit ground and victimize other creatures. Dried up water sources add fuel to fire when dehydrated passerines, raptors and water fowl cover miles in search of water and fall from sky in vain. Routinely observable birds like house sparrow, crows, myna, parrots, pigeons, doves and many more that are habitual of man’s colonization are frequently found lying dead or exhausted in the dog days of summers. Several migratory birds duck out if threatened on the visiting routes. Already endangered avian species when flying at altitudes fall on ground / buildings and suffer injuries to wings and internal organs. Lack of solace due to felling trees affects the balanced behavior of mortals, most reliant on tree canopy. Many birds are shifting their breeding pursuit 6 to 7 days earlier per decade to make most of spring as extreme hot spells are expanding their duration on yearly basis. Still many could not come in terms with baking sun and its impact. Bird fledglings dice with death as they injure themselves when flee to escape hot nests at tree elevations where they become most exposed to the direct sunlight and intense heat. Instead, awaiting the heat wave to dwindle makes them sitting ducks in the nest during their developmental phase. Chicks are in turn left with no option and many cannot survive the heat strokes. With no renowned centers for animal welfare, let alone for birds, particularly no aid at intervals of distance in different areas leaves them up the creek. Ultimately they die during the rescue or are abandoned by the residents. Setting up small rescue centers could act a last resort to revive many species. Citizens individually could play ball by doing small acts of kindness and putting out water bowls in the garden or at the roof tops and keeping them topped up on a daily basis for drinking and bird bath. At minimum placing on road fallen / ill birds under the shadow would help. Beside this, officials dealing with well-being of biodiversity and environment must keep residents in the loop for how much their contributions would be meaningful and impactful in this regard. As the team work makes the dream work, all pulling their weight together would emerge as fruitful to steer Pakistan’s avifauna from the status of struggling to the thriving one.