User:EliteSpoon/Bird conservation

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Artificial Light at Night (ALAN)

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ALAN causes abnormal flight patterns during migration, leading to detrimental effects to the survival fitness of these bird species. Birds are especially at risk for changes in migration patterns due to ALAN as they have extra-retinal photoreceptors and photoperiodic cues to lifetime events, meaning that they rely on seasonal light patterns to be able to differentiate key event markers in their lives. ALAN changes these migration patterns as these migrating birds are attracted to and disorientated by these artificial lights in urban settings. Not only are these migrating birds having their migration flight patterns changed due to ALAN, but they are being attracted to locations where they are at risk for survival when brought to inhospitable urban locations. Spring migration timing is also negatively correlated to premigration due to ALAN, which possibly leads to a mismatch between migration and peak prey abundance times once these migratory birds arrive at their desired location. Migratory birds are also affected by ALAN as they not only use suburban and urban habitats as stopover locations, but they may even end up changing their original end destination and selecting these urban settings with ALAN as the end locations for migration.