Saratov swifts have begun to fall due to the heat. 

In the regional community Wild Forest Volunteers They explained that the "swift fall" occurs annually during the hot summer period. In high temperatures, the birds overheat and fall, and then are unable to take off from the ground—their wings are too long. 

The number of birds injured by the heat is growing rapidly—animal rights activists receive an average of 10 reports of swifts falling per day. However, there are only two people in the community who are dedicated to helping the birds. As a result, volunteers have closed the intake of injured birds. They are currently caring for 26 swifts.  

Animal rights activists are asking people who find fallen swifts to try to help them themselves. They are available to provide advice by phone or via private message. To do so, please contact the group. 

In a conversation with NeMoskva, volunteers offered several general recommendations for the care and maintenance of the birds. If a swift is found uninjured and flaps its wings smoothly in a person's arms, the bird will recover from a fall and heatstroke within a week. It should be fed only store-bought insects, given water from a syringe, and preferably kept in a box rather than a cage. Birds with serious injuries should be handed over to volunteers. Such swifts are often euthanized, as they will not fully recover and fly.  

Animal rights activists also explained how to properly release recovered birds: 

"You can't toss it. You put on a glove to protect the feathers. You place the bird in your palm, and it understands that it needs to fly." — said a representative of the volunteer community Alexander.

Video from the "Wild Forest Volunteers" Telegram channel