Abstract

URSINO, Cynthia; REBOLO IFRAN, Natalia  and  GORLERI, Fabricio. IMPACTS OF LIGHT POLLUTION ON BIRDS WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON ARGENTINA. Hornero [online]. 2022, vol.37, n.2, pp.4-4. ISSN 0073-3407.

Natural nocturnal environments are modified by light emissions from artificial sources. Artificial light at high densities is considered a pollutant since it can cause harmful effects on human health as well as on wildlife. In the last decade, studies on its effects on birds have increased, but it has not yet been addressed in depth in Argentina. The goal of this work is to perform a summary of the main effects of light pollution, with special emphasis on Argentina. First, a global bibliographic review was carried out, looking specifically for reviews that compiled the main effects on birds. Then, groups or species susceptible to this threat in Argentina were identified, reported in bibliography, the IUCN and eBird Argentina. For this purpose, a new literature search of studies conducted in South America was carried out and the species listed as affected by light pollution in the IUCN and eBird online pages were identified. The literature review showed that artificial light can alter circadian rhythms, migration and movement patterns and cause behavioral changes. We identified 19 species from Argentina that showed effects due to light pollution and 3 studies about this topic. This work shows that the birds of South America are not exempt from the effects of light pollution. However, studies are still scarce and considering that Argentina alone is home to more than a thousand species, less than 1% of the country’s species were studied.

Keywords : Artificial light; Birds; Pollutants; Threats; Urbanization.

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