Birds Struggle to Tweet Over Traffic Din

Previously, Slabbekoorn studied great tits, and found that they too can adjust their tunes over urban noise. Waterbirds, birds of prey, corvids and starlings also seem to be able to cope when near highways.

Other birds, probably those that rely more on low frequency sounds, may not be as flexible, but little is known about those that give up and take flight.

Slabbekoorn explained "it is much harder to get data on birds that are escaping the cities and that are in decline."

Hansjoerg Kunc, a lecturer in behavior and ecology at Queen's University Belfast, told Discovery News that urban noise could very well "harm or alter avian populations."

In order to solve the problem, Kunc recommends that noise levels be significantly reduced.

"This would not only be for the benefit of the birds, but also for the benefit of humans since, according to the World Health Organization, noise pollution is one of the most hazardous types of pollution," Kunc said.

A recent Imperial College London study supports his claims. After monitoring 140 sleeping volunteers in their homes near London Heathrow and three other major European airports, scientists found that the blood pressure of these people jumped in response to plane noise, even as test subjects snoozed.

Lars Jarup, a co-author of the London study, concluded that traffic noise can "be damaging for people's health, which is particularly significant in light of plans to expand international airports."

In the future, Slabbekoorn hopes to better identify bird noise pollution victims and the actual toll that the constant racket is taking on them.

Related Links:

Discovery News blog: Born Animal

How Stuff Works: Bird Songs and Calls

Learn Bird Songs!

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