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3h ago

Bright Nights Stretch Birds’ Active Day by About 50 Minutes, Global Study Finds

Millions of citizen recordings paired with satellite night‑light data show brighter skies shift birds’ daily timing.

© Bachkova Natalia via Shutterstock
The researchers know that birds sing longer in light-polluted areas, but aren't sure if that's a positive or negative development
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Overview

  • The peer‑reviewed Science paper by Brent Pease and Neil Gilbert reports diurnal birds start about 18 minutes earlier and stop 32 minutes later in the brightest landscapes.
  • Researchers analyzed 2.6 million morning onsets and 1.8 million evening cessations from 583 species (March 2023–March 2024) using BirdWeather/BirdNET with VIIRS night‑light measurements.
  • Species with larger eyes showed stronger responses, with effects most pronounced during breeding seasons.
  • Responses varied by species and place; for example, Australian magpie‑larks in bright areas began morning calls nearly 40 minutes earlier at some times.
  • The fitness consequences remain uncertain as light pollution grows worldwide, and the authors call for further study while noting the dataset over‑represents regions like the U.S., western Europe and Australia.