Friday 13 July 2012

Urban noise 'killing baby house sparrows'


Noise in urban areas could be increasing the mortality rate among young house sparrows, a study has suggested.
Researchers say the noise could stop adult birds hearing the hunger calls from their dependent offspring.
In their study, the team found that birds nesting in noisy areas were less effective at feeding their chicks as those that nested in quieter places.
The findings have been published in the journal Plos One.
Scientists from the University of Sheffield reached their conclusion after carrying out a study on Lundy, a 445-hectare (1,100-acre) island located 19km (12mi) off the North Devon coast.
Co-author Julia Schroeder explained that the project happened more-or-less by chance.
"When I first went to the island, which is very remote and quiet - apart from gulls and shearwaters - I entered a barn and it was very loud," she recalled.
The barn contained an electricity generator, yet sparrows were still choosing to nest in the building, so Dr Schroeder wondered whether the conditions affected the songbirds.

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