#SensoryPollution and Functional Fragmentation: Sounding the Alarm on Noise
By: Kate McFarland
July 31, 2026
" #NoisePollution also impedes vocal communication for numerous species of #birds and #frogs, sometimes causing these animals to alter their vocalizations to make themselves heard above the low-frequency rumble of #traffic even though the altered calls might be less effective in attracting mates. A study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic found that white-crowned sparrows reverted to songs with lower notes when urban-dwelling humans were under lockdown. Evidently, the birds favored these songs when not forced to compete with traffic noise. Furthermore, traffic noise has been shown to retard vocal learning in songbirds, in addition to hindering cognitive performance in other domains."
Read more:
https://rewilding.org/sensory-pollution-and-functional-fragmentation-sounding-the-alarm-on-noise/
#TrafficNoise #Datacenters #Songbirds #ProtectNature #Birdsong #Anthropocene
