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ORNITHOLOGY
How does light pollution affect birds?
A few birds may benefit from artificial light at night, known as ALAN by researchers. Peregrine falcons, for example, are known to use the urban glow to hunt after dark. But light pollution is likely to be bad for more species. As in people, it disrupts circadian rhythms, making birds more active at night. It interferes with migration, too – since skyglow affects the stars, which birds use to orientate.
A study of North American tree swallows found that nestling development can be impacted by light pollution – the chicks may be smaller, show signs of stress and take longer to fledge. There’s also evidence that artificial light can harm an adult bird’s physical health. Research in great tits discovered that malaria infections were
