Question Corner: Can traffic noise affect birds?

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(Subscribe to Science For All, our weekly newsletter, where we aim to take the jargon out of science and put the fun in. .) Roadside habitats are important for many plants, insects, mammals, and birds. There is mounting evidence that traffic noise can have several negative effects on animals. The loud noise has been known to disrupt the ability of birds to communicate and even attract mates. A previous study proposed that traffic noise reduced breeding success in Willow Warblers (Phylloscopus trochilus). Another paper found that hearing the noises of cars driving by was enough to inhibit cognitive performance in songbirds. (Science Advances) published this week noted that juvenile zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) raised in an environment that simulated city traffic noise had weaker immune responses and delayed vocal development than chicks raised in quiet nests. Henrik Brumm, who led the international research project, said in a release that the findings indicate that young songbirds, just like human children, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of noise because of its potential to interfere with learning at a critical developmental stage.