How Noise Pollution Affects Birds
5/7/20262 min
Dr. Clinton Francis is a sensory ecologist who studies how noise pollution affects birds, like this Black-headed Grosbeak. On the Bring Birds Back podcast, Clinton explains how sounds produced by human infrastructure can really disrupt bird behavior. Although birds rely on hearing to sense predators and prey, and to find mates, their sense of hearing isn’t very good, making them very sensitive to noise pollution from machines and vehicles. Fortunately, there are many ways to help birds by reducing noise pollution.
Learn more in season 5 of our long-form show, Bring Birds Back.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks.
BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTasha Lawson· Host0:00
This is BirdNote. [birds singing] Dr. Clinton Francis is a sensory ecologist who studies how noise pollution affects birds like this Black-headed Grosbeak. He says sounds from machines and vehicles can really disrupt bird behavior because for most birds, their sense of hearing isn't very good.
Clinton Francis· Soundbite0:23
Even though birds do rely on acoustics and hearing quite strongly, your typical bird hears about half as well as we do.
Tasha Lawson· Host0:31
Birds rely on their hearing to sense predators and prey, and for mating. They need to hear each other's songs and calls in order to communicate and find each other. That makes them very sensitive to noise pollution. Clinton says some species, like the Black-headed Grosbeak, will just avoid places that get too loud for them.
Clinton Francis· Soundbite0:51
[helicopter] In our long-term study sites in New Mexico, where we've studied how noise from essentially the energy sector restructures bird communities, we see a, a loss, a complete loss of about one third of species in noise polluted areas.
Tasha Lawson· Host1:10
But Clinton says there are lots of ways to help. From switching to quieter electric vehicles to using lawn equipment outside of morning hours when birds are singing the most. Rakes are strongly encouraged. Or just leave the leaves. [birds singing] Learn more about what you can do to reduce