There have been a number of studies in the past that showed how traffic noise and other forms of noise pollution can cause stress for birds and make it harder for them to communicate. In order to further examine the effects of noise pollution on birds, experts at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia, launched an experiment that included exposing zebra finch eggs to various levels of noise.

The first group of eggs was kept in silence; the second one was exposed to the sounds of the zebra finch song, while the third one was exposed to the sounds of traffic noise. After the period of five days, the eggs that were exposed to traffic noise hatched at a 20% lower rate.

Additionally, chicks that hatched from eggs exposed to noise pollution were noticeably smaller and lighter compared to the first and second groups of chicks.

“Sound has a much stronger and more direct impact on bird development than we knew before,” said Dr Mylene Mariette, bird communication expert and co-author of the study via Guardian. “It would be wise to work more to reduce noise pollution.”

The post Study Finds That Traffic Noise Can Slow Down Growth of Baby Birds appeared first on penguinmd.

Yellow-billed loons are commonly found in high Arctic tundra regions, so seeing one in Las Vegas was quite unexpected. In an effort to keep one of their “most exclusive guests” comfortable, Bellagio management decided to turn off their famous fountain display.

According to experts interviewed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the bird was a youngling who was likely looking for shelter from the storm and got lost. It was previously spotted at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, which is 12.4 miles from Las Vegas.

After being informed about the yellow-billed loon’s visit, the Nevada Department of Wildlife sent their team of biologists to capture the bird and take it to a remote location where it could have access to more food sources and prepare better for the continuation of its migratory journey. There are currently less than 10,000 yellow-billed loons in the world, with the species being considered “Near Threatened.”

“According to the biologist who oversaw the capture, the bird had no apparent injuries and appeared to be in good health,” the Nevada Department of Wildlife said.

The post Rare Yellow-Billed Loon Makes an Unexpected Visit to Las Vegas, Nevada appeared first on penguinmd.

Surprisingly, the challenge wasn’t as hard as you would expect. Some assumed that it was an owl baby, others were just perplexed by how beautiful it was, but the real Aussies immediately knew that the small bird was actually a Tawny.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (@bonorong)

This little fellow had an interesting journey, being found on the ground by a passerby. The kind stranger figured the bird had fallen out of its nest but couldn’t find it. So they contacted Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, hoping they would know what to do.

The Bonorong staff immediately got to business, checking the tawny’s health and feeding it. The sanctuary plans to release the bird, now named Pod, after it grows up a bit and is ready to take care of itself.

The tawny frogmouth is a bird native to Tasmania and some other parts of Australia. Tawnys often get mistaken for owls even when they grow up because they have similar coloring and are nocturnal. However, there are a number of differences between the two. For example, owls have stronger legs and narrower beaks.

The post Wildlife Sanctuary Shares Adorable Photos of a Rescued “Fluff Ball” appeared first on penguinmd.

There have been a number of studies in the past that showed how traffic noise and other forms of noise pollution can cause stress for birds and make it harder for them to communicate. In order to further examine the effects of noise pollution on birds, experts at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia, launched an experiment that included exposing zebra finch eggs to various levels of noise.

The first group of eggs was kept in silence; the second one was exposed to the sounds of the zebra finch song, while the third one was exposed to the sounds of traffic noise. After the period of five days, the eggs that were exposed to traffic noise hatched at a 20% lower rate.

Additionally, chicks that hatched from eggs exposed to noise pollution were noticeably smaller and lighter compared to the first and second groups of chicks.

“Sound has a much stronger and more direct impact on bird development than we knew before,” said Dr Mylene Mariette, bird communication expert and co-author of the study via Guardian. “It would be wise to work more to reduce noise pollution.”

The post Study Finds That Traffic Noise Can Slow Down Growth of Baby Birds appeared first on penguinmd.

Yellow-billed loons are commonly found in high Arctic tundra regions, so seeing one in Las Vegas was quite unexpected. In an effort to keep one of their “most exclusive guests” comfortable, Bellagio management decided to turn off their famous fountain display.

According to experts interviewed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the bird was a youngling who was likely looking for shelter from the storm and got lost. It was previously spotted at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, which is 12.4 miles from Las Vegas.

After being informed about the yellow-billed loon’s visit, the Nevada Department of Wildlife sent their team of biologists to capture the bird and take it to a remote location where it could have access to more food sources and prepare better for the continuation of its migratory journey. There are currently less than 10,000 yellow-billed loons in the world, with the species being considered “Near Threatened.”

“According to the biologist who oversaw the capture, the bird had no apparent injuries and appeared to be in good health,” the Nevada Department of Wildlife said.

The post Rare Yellow-Billed Loon Makes an Unexpected Visit to Las Vegas, Nevada appeared first on penguinmd.

Surprisingly, the challenge wasn’t as hard as you would expect. Some assumed that it was an owl baby, others were just perplexed by how beautiful it was, but the real Aussies immediately knew that the small bird was actually a Tawny.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (@bonorong)

This little fellow had an interesting journey, being found on the ground by a passerby. The kind stranger figured the bird had fallen out of its nest but couldn’t find it. So they contacted Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, hoping they would know what to do.

The Bonorong staff immediately got to business, checking the tawny’s health and feeding it. The sanctuary plans to release the bird, now named Pod, after it grows up a bit and is ready to take care of itself.

The tawny frogmouth is a bird native to Tasmania and some other parts of Australia. Tawnys often get mistaken for owls even when they grow up because they have similar coloring and are nocturnal. However, there are a number of differences between the two. For example, owls have stronger legs and narrower beaks.

The post Wildlife Sanctuary Shares Adorable Photos of a Rescued “Fluff Ball” appeared first on penguinmd.