Passerine Birds and Street lights
Street lights influence the length of the activity period of passerine birds in winter. A study carried out in Bergen by Ingvar Byrkjedal, Terje Lislevand, and Stefanie Vogler shows a significant nocturnal activity in European Robin, Common Blackbird, Eurasian Wren, and also, to a certain extent, night-time activity in Blue Tits and Great Tits.
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The article raises the question whether passerine birds utilise artificial light to prolong their activity periods during winter. Bird registration at night and parts of the day along a fixed route in Bergen showed significant nocturnal activity in the European Robin, the Common Blackbird, and the Eurasian Wren, and also some night-time activity in Great Tits and Blue Tits. Night-active European Robins were found at shorter distances from street lights than what would be expected in a random distribution. The study indicates that some bird species are able to utilise artificial light to prolong the 24-hour cycle of day and night, a fact that can increase their chances of finding food during the dark winters in our northern latitudes.
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