The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah looks like a small animal hospital with outdoor cages. Inside are kennels and an operating table. Outside are larger enclosures for raptors like hawks and owls.
The center treats injured birds and small mammals. Staff also teach people how to prevent harms such as car strikes and window collisions. “Eighty percent of what’s coming through our door is human impact,” said Executive Director DaLyn Marthaler.
Heat, drought, and hunger
Recent summers in Salt Lake City have been hotter than the long-term average. Heat and drought make it harder for young birds to find food because prey also struggles to survive. “We’re seeing large numbers of starving and dehydrated birds,” Marthaler said.
One case was a Swainson’s hawk fledgling that arrived “extremely emaciated and dehydrated.” The bird could not be saved. These cases are becoming more common during hot spells.
Scientists also report that high temperatures reduce breeding success in many species. A 2025 systematic review links heat to lower nest success across bird groups. On farmlands, extreme heat cut the chance that nests produced at least one fledgling, while forests gave some shade protection.
Wildfire pressure and raptor habitat
Wildfire is another concern. Some owls nest in tree cavities, which can burn away in a single fire. “We have huge tracts of habitat destroyed in one fire,” said Steve Slater of HawkWatch International.
Research shows raptors can use burned forests, especially where large standing trees and snags remain. Logging after fire can reduce their return. Abundance often increases with time since the burn as vegetation regrows.
Activity studies also find rodent-eating raptors and owls may hunt more in burned areas during summer because open ground makes prey easier to spot-another reason to plan post-fire landscapes carefully.
What rehab can and cannot fix?
Birds raised in rehab, especially those admitted before they learn wild skills, can have lower survival than peers. But enough survive that rehab is “worth doing,” Slater said. Raptors also give early warnings about landscape health-just as bald eagles and peregrine falcons helped reveal DDT dangers decades ago.
Supplies are another challenge. During extreme weather, timing matters. “If someone needs a medication we don’t have, their chances over the weekend are not good,” said Marthaler. Planning is harder with more frequent heat waves.
Cities are responding to bird migration risks
Light at night can disorient migrating birds. St. Louis now turns off the Gateway Arch lights for the entire month of September to reduce collisions during peak migration along the Mississippi Flyway. This city practice expanded from two weeks to the full month in 2024 and continues in 2025.
Why everyone should care?
Even if you are not a “bird person,” raptors provide ecosystem services we rely on. Kestrels eat voles and shrews that harm crops. Swainson’s hawks hunt rodents and insects. Keeping these predators healthy supports farms and natural systems.
What helps right now?
Simple steps can reduce harm during heat and migration seasons:
- Windows: Add decals or screens to reduce reflections and collisions.
- Water: Put out shallow water dishes (cleaned often) during heat waves.
- Lights: Turn off unnecessary outdoor lighting at night in migration months.
- Ask first: If you see a young or injured bird, call a licensed rehabilitator for advice before intervening.
Quick reference table
| Pressure (local or global) | Typical effect on birds | What research suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme heat | Starvation, dehydration, lower nest success | Systematic review links heat to poorer breeding, farmland nests are especially vulnerable. |
| Wildfire & post-fire logging | Nest loss, fewer cavities and perches | Retain large trees/snags, raptor use improves with time since fire. |
| Night lighting in cities | Disorientation and collisions during migration | Turning off monument lights in peak months reduces risk. |
Even as temperatures cool in autumn, staff expect more extreme weather-from low snowpack to sudden cold snaps. Planning for heat, drought, fire, and light pollution together will help both raptors and communities in the Intermountain West and beyond.