Chapter 2: Effects of noise pollution on birds: A brief review of our knowledge

Many avian species have long been exposed to loud natural sounds such as streams, waterfalls, and wind. However, anthropogenic noise pollution is a relatively recent phenomenon that birds now have to cope with throughout much of the world. Early investigations on bird responses to noise tended to focus on physical damage to ears, stress responses, flight or flushing responses, changes in foraging, and other behavioral reactions. These studies were often conducted under laboratory conditions because determining effects of noise on free-ranging birds is particularly difficult, in that we rarely have the opportunity to isolate noise as a single testable variable. By coupling introduced noise on the landscape (e.g., from gas well compressors) with ecologically similar controls, investigators have recently found additional responses, including avoidance of noisy areas, changes in reproductive success, and changes in vocal communication. Numerous investigators have compared urban birds with their rural...