A study out of Western Ontario
says says songbirds have a harder time learning their songs when exposed to
traffic noise.
Researchers studied the Zebra
Finch, a bird native to Australia that can be found in per stores because they
are easy to bred in the lab. But they are interested in what the results mean
for wild song birds found in Toronto such as Yellow Warblers.
For a bird in the city, life can
be a beak.
There are condo windows to avoid,
light pollution and killer cats. Now, add to that noise that can make it nearly
impossible to communicate with a friend, or worse, a potential mate.
Scott MacDougall-Shackleton,
director of the Advanced Facility for Avian Research at Western University, has just published the
results of a study that highlights the problem.
Birds exposed to urban noises
like cars, motorcycles and the occasional siren have a harder time learning
songs, the study showed, and that could make it harder for them to attract one
another for breeding.
Just as we learn how to speak
“birds have to hear their own species and practice” in order to produce their
species’ normal sounds, the London, Ont., based researcher explained.
The study focused on baby zebra
finches, which are native to Australia, because they are considered the “white
lab rats” of songbirds. But, regardless of the songbird involved, the results
are thought to be universal.
Anything that decreases the
number of birds being born could have a trickle down effect, said Michael
Mesure, executive director of bird advocacy organization Fatal Light Awareness
Program (FLAP).
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