Anyone who has witnessed a total solar eclipse has likely also noticed the sounds of silence accompanying “totality”. People have long reported anecdotally that birds stop chirping as the day suddenly darkens.
A study examining how birds responded to the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, systematically confirms that trend and expands upon it. The birds don’t go completely silent until 99 percent of the sun is obscured, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
The study does two things that previous efforts haven’t accomplished. First, it took humans out of the equation because the presence of people could affect the birds’ reactions. Second, it used remote acoustic monitoring, which not only eliminates human distraction but also allows for a more comprehensive, systematic way to gather birdsong data.
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Researchers placed 344 acoustic monitoring devices ...
