The effects of microwave radar on the behavior of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)
Abstract
Bird strikes account for an annual loss of $650,000,000 in the United States due to aircraft loss, damage, and delays; worldwide, there have been nearly 219 deaths since 1988. Investigations into novel methods of deterring birds from striking planes could ultimately lead to a decrease in loss of life and damage caused to aircraft. Previous observations suggest three things: 1) birds respond to aircraft as they would a predator, 2) birds can detect different levels of microwave frequencies and 3) birds might respond to microwaves produced by weather radar. The goal of this study was to determine whether birds react to microwaves produced by radar in the same way as they do to predators. I used wild caught European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris ), which were exposed to two treatments (radar or a stuffed ground predator) in an enclosure under semi-natural conditions. I found that the behavioral responses to the radar differed from those to the predator. When starlings were exposed to the predator, they moved and flew around the enclosure more frequently, moved their heads faster and hung from the walls of the enclosure longer, likely to track the predator visually. However, when starlings were exposed to the radar, they moved less and reduced their head movements. I did not find significant differences in the time to detect the radar compared to the predator. When starlings were exposed to the radar some body parts (back, cheek, chest, chest, and neck) had higher temperatures than when exposed to the predator; but I found the opposite temperature effect in their eyes and mouth. These results suggest that Starlings respond to radar by reducing their locomotive and visual exploration behaviors and increasing the temperature of some body parts, which may be associated with the hyperthermic effects that microwaves can cause in animals. Future work should focus on how these responses may vary at different distances from the radar, which could have implications for the potential use of these devices to minimize bird strikes.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Fernandez-Juricic, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Biology|Ecology|Behavioral psychology
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