It’s sunrise on a Kansas City summer day. The bedroom window is open a little bit, since it’s somewhat cooler at night. The sound coming through the window … nothing. Excepting the distant rumble of traffic, there are no other sounds. No chirping, no fluttering of wings … no birds, unlike everyplace else I’ve ever lived.
Through the day, I don’t see any or hear any birds. As the day goes on, some bird-like noises emerge, but they’re the mating calls of large, loud insects. The ear-splitting buzz of cicadas kicks in about 3:00 PM, and continues through the night.
So, Midwestern Dopers … where are the birds?
Birds don’t sing so much in the summer: it’s too hot! 
The male birds do the singing and they sing usually to announce their territory or attract a mate. Hence, you hear more singing in the spring when these events occur. They do call, however, year round. In addition, migration has begun and many of the KC birds may be migrating somewhere.
I’ve had exactly ZERO inches of rain where I am in K.C. in July and August, it seems. My yard is in earth tones. The 8,000 days of 100 plus temps didn’t help.
Until they said don’t do it, I was watering various hedges in the yard. The birds would go into a frenzy when the pulse sprinkler was going. They sure enjoyed that!
I noticed that the hose was dripping from the faucet. Well, the birds saw this too and would line up waiting to take a shower! One would finish, the next would go at it. No fights, no butting in line, just happy to be there.
At exactly 14:32 today, the heavens opened up and an honest to goodness THUNDERSTORM appeared! And yes, I watched it rain.
The birds shouldn’t be as grumpy now.
Filthy-rich Overland Park resident here. 
We have lots of birds, and just this morning Fierra and I watched a grackle take a bath in the birdbath. Lots of mourning doves, blue jays, and grackles. And cardinals too. Very few robins and sparrows, for some odd reason, however.
Last year I had very few birds; this year I have a lot more. I don’t know why.
There have been non-stop thunder rumbles since I got home from work.
Some place cooler, like Death Valley.
In the movies, the absence of wildlife sounds usually precedes the presence of the supernatural or aliens. Maybe the Predator is hovering outside your window?
Oh, now the power is completely out. Thanks to my T-Rex sized UPS, I still have another 3 hours or so of posting…
I think I just drove by where you are … I passed through a long stretch where Metcalf was dark. I’m in RP, and the lights are on here.
Maybe the drought has something to do with it. Still, though, when I put the sprinkler out, birds don’t appear.
Hmm. I was in Stilwell about a week and a half ago, staying with my girlfriend’s grandparents, and I remember being awakened by birds. Of course, they’re way out in the country - about a block from Miami County and 1/4 mile from Missouri. But maybe the birds did get depressed from the lack of rain and flew away; I know crunchy grass and dusty soil make me depressed. I was so grateful for the spring rains we had here, but it’s been dry for a couple of weeks now and everything’s dead or wilting.
Maybe the secedas got them. Those suckers are huge. It could be a plague year.
Just little bitty birds in Lee’s Summit. The hummingbird feeder is getting a real workout.
I expect that a lot of the larger birds either moved closer to water or perished.