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As many said at the time, bird song did sound different during lockdown, according to a scientific study.
By analysing the calls of sparrows recorded over decades, scientists confirmed a change in the birds' vocal repertoire when the city fell quiet.
The birds upped the quality of their songs, as they called to defend their territory and entice a mate.
And while it might have seemed to human ears that bird song got louder, the sparrows actually sang more quietly.
These sweeter, softer songs carried further given the lack of background noise.
Dr Elizabeth Derryberry of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, US, has studied for years how noise pollution affects bird song.
"People were right that birds did sound different during the shutdown and they filled the soundscape that we basically abandoned," she told BBC News.
"As we moved out of the soundscape, the birds moved in and I think this tells us something about just how big an effect we have on birdsong and on communication, especially in cities."
Full article here
By analysing the calls of sparrows recorded over decades, scientists confirmed a change in the birds' vocal repertoire when the city fell quiet.
The birds upped the quality of their songs, as they called to defend their territory and entice a mate.
And while it might have seemed to human ears that bird song got louder, the sparrows actually sang more quietly.
These sweeter, softer songs carried further given the lack of background noise.
Dr Elizabeth Derryberry of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, US, has studied for years how noise pollution affects bird song.
"People were right that birds did sound different during the shutdown and they filled the soundscape that we basically abandoned," she told BBC News.
"As we moved out of the soundscape, the birds moved in and I think this tells us something about just how big an effect we have on birdsong and on communication, especially in cities."
Full article here
