Conducted by researchers at Loggerhead Instruments and the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the study analyzed soundscapes from 344 Haikubox devices across North America. By applying an advanced neural network model and filtering out locations where human activity might have affected avian behavior, the team isolated the eclipse's true acoustic impact.
"Anecdotal evidence has long suggested that birds fall silent or exhibit nighttime behaviors during a total solar eclipse," said David Mann, PhD., lead author and researcher at Loggerhead Instruments. "Our study shows that on average, birds do get quiet during and just after totality, but we also learned that this behavior is strongly linked to the degree of darkness experienced."
Bird responses varied widely by species and geography. Black-capped Chickadees, for example, remained silent until after totality in New York but became more vocal during the same phase in Vermont. While American Robins continued singing through totality in Kentucky, Pine Siskins went completely quiet in Maine.
"The variability in bird responses and site differences was fascinating," said Mann. "We really don't know why birds had such different responses to the total darkness during the eclipse. Despite examining factors like temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed, we found no significant relationship with changes in vocalization rates. This strongly suggests that the sudden total darkness and associated changes in wind and temperature were the primary drivers of the observed behavioral shifts."
The study took care to exclude any recordings tainted by human presence during the eclipse to avoid confounding influences. "Our first, quick look at Haikubox data just a few hours after the eclipse showed a large dip in bird vocalizations around the time of peak totality," said Mann. "When we dove deeper into the data and removed any sites where humans may have influenced the birds' behaviors, we found a much more complicated story. People were pretty excited about the total solar eclipse, and their celebrations likely affected the birds' reactions."
The findings demonstrate the scientific potential of crowd-supported passive acoustic monitoring systems. "In a time when technology often pulls us away from the natural world, Haikubox does the opposite - it fosters a deeper connection to it. By combining AI technology with a love for the environment, Haikubox helps people engage with nature in a modern and educational way," notes Mann.
This collaborative network of community-operated devices offers a powerful method for large-scale wildlife studies. "Our findings can inform future research on the impacts of light pollution and sudden changes in light levels on bird behavior," notes Mann. "Furthermore, it proves that when we combine the power of community science with clever technology, we can learn amazing things about wildlife without disturbing them, which may inform future continental-scale studies."
The paper, "Continental-scale behavioral response of birds to a total solar eclipse," was published April 8, 2025. Co-authors include Austin Anderson, Amy Donner, and Michael Hall of Haikubox, along with Stefan Kahl and Holger Klinck of Cornell. The Haikubox project was supported by the National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovation Research program.
The research team anticipates that Haikubox data will continue to contribute to future studies on animal behavior. "Passive acoustic monitoring is a terrific tool for gathering data about animal behavior, and regular folks play an important role in widening our listening network," said Mann. "Putting a Haikubox in your yard helps us add to the already 1 billion acoustic recordings we've gathered. Our community is enabling tomorrow's scientific discoveries."
Research Report:Continental-scale behavioral response of birds to a total solar eclipse
Related Links
Haikubox
Solar Science News at SpaceDaily
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
