Galapagos birds exhibit ‘road rage’ due to noise

A new study has shown that birds are changing their behavior due to the noise of bird traffic in the Galapagos Islands, with those who are often exposed to vehicles, increasing the level of aggression.

Published in the journal animal behavior And under the leadership of experts at the University of Anglia Ruskin (ARU) and Konrad Loreng Research Center at the University of Vienna, the research examined the effect of noise pollution of the vehicle on Gallpagos Yellow Warblikers (Setophaaga Petichia orol), which is a vesable salaried vidspred on a vended wide -case.

The Galapagos Islands, located at a distance of 500 miles from the coast of Ecuador, are considered a natural life laboratory due to a large number of unique, spatial species. Galapagos Yellow Warbaler is genetically different from other yellow warblales found in the US and is classified as a sub -species.

The visit to the Galapagos Islands in 1835 helped Charles Darwin to motivate Darwin to develop the principle of development by natural selection. However, significant human population growth has been observed in recent decades. Along with the increase in tourism, permanent population is growing more than 6% per year, causing more vehicles on the roads of the islands.

The new study consisted of a speaker who played bird songs, which was followed by an intruder, with traffic noise recorded at 38 places along with the Galapagos Yellow Warblleyrs on the islands of Floriana and Santa Cruzes – 20 sites were within 50 meters and were far from 18 100 meters.

Researchers then measured the song, usually used to remove intruders, and physical, aggressive behavior such as approaching closely with the speaker and making repeated flights on it.

During testing with traffic noise, researchers found that Galapagos Yellow Warblalers, who lived in roadside areas, increased aggression, but people away from the roads reduced the relative aggression relative to the tests without noise.

Importantly, the effect of living in a roadside area was also present on the island of Florina, with only 10 vehicles on the island, minimal experience of traffic also affects reactions for noise.

Additionally, Galapagos Yellow Warbliers increased the duration of their song when the Galpagos Yellow Warblleyrs on the island of Santa Cruise increased with traffic noise. These conclusions support the idea that the noise experience, or long -term selection based on the previous experience of the noise of an individual bird, allows them to customize and accommodate the characteristics of their songs.

Finally, birds increased the minimum frequencies of their songs during noise experiments, regardless of their area’s proximity to the road, helped reduce any overlap of their songs with low-existing traffic noise.

Senior lecturer of behavior ecology at Anglia Ruskin University (Aru). Kagaller Akake said, “Birds use the song during regional defense as an aggressive signal. However, if external noise such as interference with traffic signaling, effectively blocks this communication channel, increasing physical aggression will be a suitable response.

“Our results suggest that the changes in aggressive reactions in Yellow Warblikers have occurred mainly near the roads. Both the islands occupy the roadside areas, and therefore regular experience of traffic noise, may, when regional infiltration was with traffic noise, learned to increase physical aggression.

“We also found some evidence of birds that were trying to deal with the noise by adjusting their songs, helping them to be heard above the traffic noise to increase the minimum frequency of their songs with yellow warblaces in all houses.

“Our study reflects the importance of developing strategies to consider practical plasticity in conservation efforts and to reduce the effects of noise pollution on wildlife. It also highlights the significant impact of human activities on wildlife behavior, even relatively remote places such as Galapagos Islands.”