Thank you for sending the photos to us at eXtension.

White/paper birches are native to low, moist areas, especially in the northern part of the upper Midwest.  They are easily stressed in residential yards, where they tend to be planted somewhere "high and dry".  Although they can take full sun, they prefer partial shade.

I see several possible causes for the leaf scorch symptoms you show in your second picture.  First is the site factors I mentioned above.  White birches are very short lived in landscapes, due to sun, lack of topsoil (ALL subdivisions lack decent topsoil), and dry soil.

Next is the large wound on the middle trunk.  I'm not sure what caused that injury in the first place; I do see some wound response growth on either side of the wound, so the tree is trying to close off that wound.  However, at this moment in time, that wound is cutting off about 1/2 of the water/nutrients flowing upward to that trunk, and that by itself could cause these symptoms.

Also, that middle trunk appears to be squeezed between some of the outer trunks.  This is girdling, or choking that trunk, and preventing water from moving upwards.

Finally, I notice at the base of the tree that there is no root flare.  Birches and other trees should flare outward at the ground level, showing a healthy set of buttress roots to hold the tree up and provide water and nutrients.  Usually when I see a tree going into the ground straight, like a telephone pole, it is due to either: planting too deeply; adding fill dirt around the trunk and over the roots; or the formation of a trunk-girdling root, usually from improper planting.

You can keep this tree alive by using soaker hoses in that area to irrigate the tree once per week.  Water not only under the branches, but out to a distance equal to the height of the tree.  This may reduce the stress, and extend the life of this tree, but it won't be a magical cure-all.  As I said, white birches are short lived in urban soils, and when it starts to decline, nothing will stop this.

If you have any other questions, please let us know!