Noise and light pollution affect breeding habits in birds

A new study provides the most comprehensive picture yet of how human noise and light pollution affect birds throughout North America.

Scientists are studying how human noise and light pollution affect birds throughout North America. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The effects of noise and light pollution on the health of bird populations had been largely overlooked until recent studies suggested that these stressors can harm individual species. With this new study by biologists at California Polytechnic State University, a continent-wide picture has emerged.

The researchers looked at a huge collection of datasets -- including those collected by citizen scientists -- to assess how light and noise affected the reproductive success of 58,506 nests from 142 species across North America.

The biologists found that light pollution causes birds to begin nesting up to a month earlier than normal in open environments such as grasslands and wetlands, and 18 days earlier in forested environments. The consequence could be a mismatch in timing -- hungry chicks may hatch before their food is available.

When considering noise pollution, results showed that birds living in forested environments tend to be more sensitive to noise than birds in open environments. Noise pollution delayed nesting for birds whose songs are at a lower frequency and thus more difficult to hear through low-frequency human noise.

The study is the first step toward a larger goal of developing a sensitivity index for all North American birds. The index would allow managers and conservationists to cross-reference multiple physical traits for a species to assess how factors such as light and noise pollution would affect it.

"Although birds live in the same world we do, they experience it in a profoundly different way -- they see and hear better than humans, and are more sensitive to increased light and noise," said Doug Levey, a program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. (National Science Foundation)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Fungus Commits Floral Fraud to Fool Insects into Spreading It

The spores of some fungi can linger in the environment for months or years just waiting for something to spread them elsewhere, like a gust of wind, falling rain or a passing insect or animal.

Cocoa Flavanols Boost Cognitive Abilities by Increasing Oxygen in Brain

Studies support the role of cocoa flavanols — substances found in chocolate, as well as fruits and vegetables — in boosting memory and cognition.

New green materials could power smart devices using ambient light

Researchers have developed environmentally friendly materials that could harvest enough energy from indoor light to power wireless smart devices.

Soil carbon changes in transition areas suggest Amazon conservation outlook

Conservation efforts on the edges of the Amazon forest, especially in light of recent deforestation by human disturbance, could help the region weather climate change, researchers say.

Arctic Animals’ Movement Patterns are Shifting in Different Ways as the Climate Changes

For animals in the Arctic, life is a balancing act. Seasonal cues, such as warmer spring temperatures or cooler temperatures in the fall, tell animals when to migrate (...)

Corals threatened by coastal lighting

Pollution by artificial light in coastal regions disrupts coral reproduction which depends on natural light sources to control their biological, physiological and behavioural activities.