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Tyler, N., Stokkan, K. - A., Hogg, C., Nellemann, C., Vistnes, A. - I., & Jeffery, G. (2014). Ultraviolet vision and avoidance of power lines in birds and mammals. Conserv Biol, 28(3), 630–631.
Abstract: The avoidance by mammals and ground-nesting birds of habitat up to several kilometers from high-voltage power lines is a major consequence of infrastructure development in remote areas, but the behavior is perplexing because suspended cables are neither an impenetrable physical barrier nor associated with human traffic (e.g., Vistnes & Nellemann 2008; Pruett et al. 2009; Degteva & Nellemann 2013). Moreover, avoidance may persist >3 decades after construction (Nellemann et al. 2003; Vistnes et al. 2004), suggesting behavioral reinforcement. Integration of new information on visual function with the characteristics of power line function provides compelling evidence that avoidance may be linked with the ability of animals to detect ultraviolet light (UV).
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Wiltschko, W., Munro, U., Ford, H., & Wiltschko, R. (1993). Red light disrupts magnetic orientation of migratory birds. Nature, 364(6437), 525–527.
Abstract: The transduction mechanisms and the neurophysiological basis of magnetoreception in birds are still largely unexplained, even though the role of the magnetic compass in the orientation of birds is fairly well understood. The discussion on magnetoreception in birds and terrestrial vertebrates focuses mainly on two mechanisms: small particles of magnetite and biochemical bi-radical reactions of excited macromolecules. When the bi-radical hypothesis was first proposed, magnetic resonance phenomena in the retina were suggested as the primary processes, which led to the question of whether magnetoreception was light-dependent. Homing experiments and electrophysiological evidence from pigeons have produced evidence consistent with such a mechanism. An effect of the spectral composition of light on magnetic compass orientation in amphibians has recently been described: under blue light of 450 nm and below, newts oriented as they did under the full spectrum, whereas they showed a roughly 90° counterclockwise shift when tested under wavelengths at or above 500 nm. Here we report the first orientation tests on migratory birds under light of different wavelengths; the results suggest a light-dependent process that appears to differ from that reported in newts.
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Woods, C. P., & Brigham, R. M. (2008). Common Poorwill activity and calling behavior in relation to moonlight and predation. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 120(3), 505–512.
Abstract: We investigated the influence of lunar and environmental factors on behavior of Common Poorwills (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) in southern Arizona under a diverse set of natural and artificial conditions. Radio-marked poorwills were most active shortly after sunset during the new moon. Movements declined as evening progressed. Activity remained high for several hours after sunset when the moon was full. Poorwills were heard calling from March through October, but most calling occurred between early May and September. Only ambient light was correlated with number of poorwills heard calling. More poorwills responded to playbacks of conspecifics when the moon was full than when it was new. Poorwills did not change their response to conspecifics during full moon when playback of poorwill calls followed playback of Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) calls but, during the new moon, fewer birds responded following the owl call. Poorwill behavior is strongly influenced by lunar conditions; their ability to detect and evade predators is important when calling advertises their location.
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Yang, Y. - F., Jiang, J. - S., Pan, J. - M., Ying, Y. - B., Wang, X. - S., Zhang, M. - L., et al. (2016). The relationship of spectral sensitivity with growth and reproductive response in avian breeders (Gallus gallus). Sci Rep, 6, 19291.
Abstract: A previous study demonstrated that birds that are exposed to light at night develop advanced reproductive systems. However, spectrum might also affect the photoperiodic response of birds. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of spectral composition on the growth and reproductive physiology of female breeders, using pure light-emitting diode spectra. A total of 1,000 newly hatched female avian breeders (Gallus gallus) were equally allocated to white-, red-, yellow-, green- and blue-light treated groups. We found that blue-light treated birds had a greater and faster weight gain than did red- and yellow-light treated birds (P = 0.02 and 0.05). The red light expedited the sexual maturation of the chicks, whose age at sexual maturity was 7 and 14 days earlier than that of the green- and blue-light treated birds, respectively. The accumulative egg production of the red-light treated birds was 9 and 8 eggs more than that of the blue- and green-light treated birds. The peak lay rate of the red-light treated groups was significantly greater than the blue-light treated birds (P = 0.028). In conclusion, exposure to short-wavelength light appears to promote growth of female breeder birds, whereas exposure to long-wavelength light appears to accelerate reproductive performance.
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York, J. E., Young, A. J., & Radford, A. N. (2014). Singing in the moonlight: dawn song performance of a diurnal bird varies with lunar phase. Biology letters, 10(1), 20130970.
Abstract: It is well established that the lunar cycle can affect the behaviour of nocturnal animals, but its potential to have a similar influence on diurnal species has received less research attention. Here, we demonstrate that the dawn song of a cooperative songbird, the white-browed sparrow weaver (Plocepasser mahali), varies with moon phase. When the moon was above the horizon at dawn, males began singing on average 10 min earlier, if there was a full moon compared with a new moon, resulting in a 67% mean increase in performance period and greater total song output. The lack of a difference between full and new moon dawns when the moon was below the horizon suggests that the observed effects were driven by light intensity, rather than driven by other factors associated with moon phase. Effects of the lunar cycle on twilight signalling behaviour have implications for both pure and applied animal communication research.
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