Cavities shield birds from effects of artificial light at night on sleep

May 22, 2018Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology

Birds’ natural cavities protect their sleep from artificial light at night

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Abstract

Experimental treatment with 1.6 lux artificial light did not affect the sleep behavior of great tits.

Great tits roosting in dark nest boxes showed no change in sleep when exposed to artificial light at night.
Sleep behavior of birds in light-treated nest boxes was comparable to that of control birds in dark nest boxes.
Cavities may provide some shielding from the effects of artificial light during winter.
Individual responses to artificial light are influenced by species, sex, and season.
Quantifying light exposure in wild animals is essential for understanding the effects of light pollution.

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Light pollution is an ever increasing worldwide problem disrupting animal behavior. Artificial light at night (ALAN) has been shown to affect sleep in wild birds. Even cavity-nesting bird species may be affected when sleeping inside their cavity. Correlational studies suggest that light from outside the cavity/nest box, for example from street lights, may affect sleep. We used an experimental design to study to what extent nest boxes shield animals from effects of ALAN on sleep. We recorded individual sleep behavior of free-living great tits (Parus major) that were roosting in dark nest boxes and exposed their nest box entrance to ALAN the following night (1.6 lux white LED light; a similar light intensity as was found at nest boxes near street lights). Their behavior was compared to that of control birds sleeping in dark nest boxes on both nights. Our experimental treatment did not affect sleep behavior. Sleep behavior of birds in the control group did not differ from that of individuals in the light treated group. Our results suggest that during winter cavities shield birds from some effects of ALAN. Furthermore, given that effects of ALAN and exposure to artificial light are species-, sex-, and season-dependent, it is important that studies using wild animals quantify individual exposure to light pollution, and be cautious in the interpretation and generalization of the effects, or lack thereof, from light pollution. Rigorous studies are necessary to examine individual light exposure and its consequences in cavity- and open-nesting birds.

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Cavities shield birds from effects of artificial light at night on sleep

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