Urban birds are staying up nearly an hour longer than their rural cousins, thanks to the relentless glow of artificial light, new research shows.
Analysing 4.4 million recordings of bird calls submitted to the citizen science platform BirdWeather, scientists found that birds in brightly lit areas began singing up to an hour earlier at dawn and settled down an hour later at night. On average, their days were extended by 50 minutes.
“Under the brightest night skies, a bird’s day is extended by nearly an hour,” said Dr. Brent Pease of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “We were shocked by our findings.”
Light pollution — now covering 23% of Earth’s surface and intensifying rapidly — is already known to disrupt human sleep, insect populations, and the migrations of bats and sea turtles. Now, this study confirms its profound impact on bird behaviour, especially in species with larger eyes that are more sensitive to artificial light.
The findings highlight a sobering truth: as cities grow brighter, the natural rhythms of wildlife are being bent to our own — with consequences we are only beginning to understand. Read More
News Credit: The Guardian
Picture Credit: Suerob/Getty Images/iStockphoto