Parrots in massive numbers were found lying dead in a village in Jhansi district on the morning of May 22, while many were injured due to a heavy storm that hit parts of the district on the night of May 21, reported HT.
District forest officer JB Shende said told TOI that deaths of 70 parrots have been confirmed so far. According to him, around 30 parrots were found injured and were immediately taken to the veterinary hospital.
Villagers reportedly alleged that the exact number of deceased parrots is in hundreds. The incident was reported from Singhar village under Bamore block of the district. According to the villagers, hundreds of parrots have inhabited a huge old Peepal near a temple, reported HT. A heavy storm hit most parts of the district on the night of May 21.
Impact of Climate Change
Local villagers and environmentalists suspect that the havoc caused by constantly changing weather and unseasonal storms—attributed to climate change—may be the reason for the parrots’ deaths, reported The Free Press Journal.
Professor Amit Pal, Environmentalist at Bundelkhand University’s Department of Environmental Science told TOI that the sudden temperature fluctuation caused by the storm may be linked to climate change. He further added that parrots are particularly susceptible to abrupt climatic changes, reinforcing concerns that the incident could be a visible impact of ongoing climate change phenomena and erratic temperature patterns.
The recent episode of extreme heat has not just endangered human life but also posed threats to birds and animals.
Studies indicate that environmental extremes have previously impacted wildlife to the point of extinction. According to a 2020 research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 16% of all plant and animal species would be wiped out by 2070 even if there is just moderate global warming.
Another study published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution found that multiple animals have evolved in the last two centuries to change their body shapes to cope with a warming climate. Several species of birds, for example, have increased in their beak size, which helps divert blood flow to disperse heat.
Ashwin Viswanathan, a conservationist and researcher with National Conservation Foundation in New Delhi, told Vice that overheating is just one of many ways climate change threatens birds, as a warming climate also affects their food supply, breeding and habitats.
