During lockdown birds sang different tunes and could hear each other better

[FfFfFfFF 58,133]

When behavioral ecologist Liz Derryberry saw a news report of coyotes crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in March, she immediately thought of her birds. For over a decade, Derryberry has studied the white-crowned sparrow and how urban noise has disrupted and degraded the species’ ability to communicate.

With most San Franciscans staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, she decided to seize an unprecedented opportunity to study how this small, scrappy songbird responded when human noises disappeared.

By recording the species’ calls among the abandoned streets of the Bay Area in the following months, Derryberry and colleagues have revealed that the shutdown dramatically improved the birds’ calls, both in quality and efficiency. Male birds in particular rely on their songs to defend territory and find mates. 

“The songs didn’t change as much as we predicted—they changed even more,” says Derryberry, of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “It highlights just how big of an effect noise pollution has.”

The research, published today in Science, is among the first to scientifically evaluate the effects of the pandemic on urban wildlife.

“I was excited that someone was able to collect such great information on a rare event. It showed how quickly animals can recover,” says Sue Anne Zollinger, a behavioral physiologist at Manchester Metropolitan University in the U.K.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/09/pandemic-san-francisco-birds-song-improved/

[Guest]

During lockdown in March I actually noticed how loud the birds were, they suddenly seemed to come out of nowhere and sing very very loudly, I really enjoyed it. I have a special bird house with food in it and usually I only get one bird to come eat but there was a whole ass squad during lockdown, now they're gone and I dont hear them 

[LaLuna 12,732]

More proof that nature is better off without us humans.

[Logan 20,827]

I feel like I've seen more wildlife around as well. If we were all to straight up disappear completely imagine what the world would look like.

[Bonkers 30,860]

Tweet tweet.  A tweetle tweetie two.  Twa wee tweet too

Translation:  LOL, covid is great, lol