Birds are adapting to speed limits on roads

Science News : A pair of researchers in Canada have found that birds are adapting to vehicle traffic on roadways by using the average speed limit to determine when they need to take flight. Pierre Legagneux of the University of Quebec in Rimouski and Simon Ducatez of McGill University in Montreal studied data on the distances and times between oncoming cars and birds’ points of flight. From 134 measurements across 21 species, the researchers found that flight initiation distance increased with the roadway’s established speed limit. The higher the limit, the sooner the birds took flight upon spotting an oncoming car. Interestingly, the birds’ behavior appeared not to be affected by the actual speed of the car. The researchers say that such behavioral responses help species survive in habitats that have been modified by humans. Earlier this year, another study found that cliff swallows living near highway overpasses in the US Midwest were developing shorter wings, which allow them greater maneuverability around speeding traffic.