What did it mean for birds when Minnesota made history one June day, with the worst air quality ever recorded in the state?
We humans could stay indoors or wear masks outdoors to deal with the smoke blowing in from Canadian wildfires. But what could wildlife do to stay healthy in air that was said to be the equivalent of smoking 10 cigarettes that day?
Several readers sent in their own questions about the impact on birds, one even describing a male cardinal exhibiting very un-cardinal-like behavior, sitting still on a garden post for 5 minutes or more the day after smoke blanketed the state.
The question of the effects of wildfire smoke on birds was posed to the Raptor Center (on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota) and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (in Roseville), two world-class facilities that treat sick and injured birds.
The Raptor Center didn't see an increase in birds of prey being admitted as a result of June 13's highly polluted air. But, as Executive Director Victoria Hall noted, "We would most likely see the impact of air pollution in combination with other health conditions in the days ahead."
And the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center makes a similar report: The hospital for wildlife admitted no birds exhibiting signs of smoke inhalation and saw no signs of respiratory distress in the birds in the center's outdoor caging.
So, birds weren't dropping out of the skies over the metro area, but no one knows what will happen in the weeks ahead, especially for birds already fighting off illnesses or injuries. A quick survey of research on this topic turned up little in the way of wildfire smoke's effects on wildlife, and what there is focuses primarily on mammals.
What is known is that birds have a very different respiratory system from that of mammals. Combine their system of lungs and air sacs with their small size and rapid metabolism, and it's likely that birds are more sensitive to smoke and other pollution than mammals are.