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Festivals could be affecting bat activity
The ultrasound that flying mammals rely on could be masked by music
Loud festival music could be affecting foraging bats’ nighttime activity. Sound pollution is a growing problem affecting a number of wildlife species. One way is it’s drowning out or masking the noise animals make to communicate. Noise may affect species like bats that rely on ultrasonic waves to find their more than other species. Researchers tested the noise level of the music at some festivals and how far it traveled. In 2019 alone, there were roughly 1,000 festivals with about 5.2 million attendees. In a study published recently in Ecological Solutions and Evidence, researchers found that the noise reduced the activity of bats by up to 50%, even in the absence of other festival-related issues like light pollution and human presence. They did this by playing clips of music from groups like Black Sabbath and Destiny’s Child.
Header Image: Festival music may reduce bat activity by up to 50%. Credit: Earl McGehee
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