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Urban birds burn candle at both ends, light pollution study finds
The Guardian
|August 22, 2025
Urban birds stay up significantly later than their rural counterparts, according to research that highlights the impact of light pollution on wildlife.
The study, based on recordings submitted by bird enthusiasts to a popular species identification and mapping website, showed that light pollution caused birds to sing for an average of 50 minutes longer each day, with some species waking up an hour earlier and settling down for the evening an hour later.
"We were shocked by our findings," said Dr Brent Pease, an assistant professor of biodiversity conservation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. "Under the brightest night skies, a bird's day is extended by nearly an hour."
This story is from the August 22, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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