Experimental noise and light pollution alter prey detection in a nocturnal bird of prey.

ABSTRACT: Urban expansion has led to ever increasing noise and light pollution, which impairs the audio-visual perception of wild animals and drives changes in key activities and behaviours. Nocturnal predators may be especially affected in detecting prey, with potentially dramatic consequences for their fitness. However, the combined effects of noise and light pollution on predator performance are still mostly unstudied. We experimentally exposed tawny owls (Strix aluco), nocturnal acoustic raptors, to traffic noise and artificial light. We provided both visual and acoustic prey cues to assess potential non-additive effects among multiple sensory stressors on the ability to detect prey. We found that, in control conditions, owls responded equally to both acoustic and visual prey cues. In contrast,

SUBMITTER: Passarotto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12214444 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature