Although actual road rage is primarily a human characteristic, some birds in the Galapagos Islands experience unique traffic issues. Yellow Galapagos Warbler (Setofagapetechia aureola) Exposure to noisy traffic appears to be an increasing level of aggression. For more information about the survey results, please see Research published in the journal on March 20th Animal behavior.
“Birds use songs during territorial defense as an aggressive signal,” says Caglar Akcay, a research co-author and behavioral ecologist at Anglialuskin University in the UK. said in a statement. “However, if external noise such as traffic is hindering signaling, effectively blocking this communication channel would be an appropriate response.”
a The world-famous “Natural Life Research Institute” The Galapagos Islands are over 500 miles from the Ecuadorian coast. On his voyage to the famous archipelago HMS BeagleGalapagos helped inspire Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection. There are many houses in the archipelago Unique and endemic This new study includes giant Galapagos turtles, marine iguanas, flightless cor, and Galapagos yellow warblers. Small yellow songbirds are spreading across the archipelago. It is also genetically distinct from the yellow warbler found elsewhere in the Americas and is classified as a subspecies.
However, the population and impact on the Galapagos have increased significantly in recent years. In addition to the tourist jump, the population of permanent residents is also available. Annual increase of over 6%, It leads to more cars around the island.
this New research We have taken a closer look at the effects of vehicle noise pollution on the Galapagos yellow warbler. To stimulate the intruder’s sound, the team played bird songs from the speakers and recorded traffic noise. These noises were recorded at 38 locations inhabited by the Yellow Wallers of the Galapagos. Floreana and Santa Cruz Island. The 20 sites were within 164 feet (50 meters) of the nearest road, with 18 exceeding 328 feet (100 meters).
Yellow Warbler of the Male Galapagos on Florana Island – Photographed by Kagler Accey in March 2025. Credit: Kagel Accessey from Angliaraskin University.
The team then measured songs, which are usually used to drive out intruders, as well as physical and aggressive behavior. These actions include creating repeat flights across the speakers and getting close closer.
During the test, which includes traffic noise, the team was given a yellow warbler from the Galapagos, who lives on roadside territory. showed increased aggression. People living off the road were less aggressive compared to tests that had no noise from the car.
“Our results show that changes in the aggressive response of yellow warblers occurred primarily near roads. Birds occupying roadside territory on both islands may have learned that by having regular experience with traffic noise, they increase physical attacks when territorial intrusions involve traffic noise,” Akcay said.
[ Related: Noise pollution messes with beluga whales’ travel plans. ]
This effect of living on roadside territory also existed on Floana Island, where only about 10 vehicles were held. According to the teamwhich suggests that minimizing car traffic will still affect the response to noise.
The yellow warbler of the Galapagos, located on the more populated island of Santa Cruz, also increased the duration of the song when faced with traffic noise. Long-term choices based on noise experiences or individual bird experiences Previous experience with noise allows birds to adapt and adjust parts of their songs.
“We also found evidence that birds are trying to deal with noise by adjusting the song. Yellow warblers in all habitats help to increase the minimum frequency of songs and hear them above traffic noise,” Aksei said.
Birds too Minimum frequency increased Of their songs during noise experiments, whether their territory is close to the road or not. This allowed songs overlap to reduce low-frequency traffic noise.
“Our research demonstrates the importance of considering behavioral plasticity in conservation efforts and developing strategies to mitigate the effects of noise pollution on wildlife,” Aksei said. “It also highlights the significant impact of human activity on wildlife behavior, even in relatively remote locations such as the Galapagos Islands.”
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