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.
Recording the Sounds of an Eclipse
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.
