US pollution regulations meant to protect humans from dirty air are also saving birds. So concludes a new continent-wide study. Study authors found that improved air quality under a federal program to reduce ozone pollution may have averted the loss of 1.5 billion birds during the past 40 years.
What do songbirds and humans have in common? We crave social interaction, and the chemical rewards that flood our brain when we get it. When songbirds sing during non-mating seasons, it’s because singing releases an opioid naturally produced in their brain — a compound with the same biological makeup of the highly addictive painkillers.
The authors believe birds and mammals share the common ancestor in which these social rewards evolved, so there’s a chance parts of their work can be generalized to humans.
In this case, the importance of sociality to both humans and songbirds cannot be understated. When humans don’t receive enough social interaction, they might become depressed or experience other negative mental health conditions because their brains aren’t producing those endogenous chemicals anymore. For example, people with social anxiety might not want to hang out in social groups, because they might have negative interactions. By studying birds, maybe they can find ways to promote positive social interactions.
India’s first major report on the state of bird populations reveals declines in hundreds of species. The report was drawn from 10 million citizen-scientist observations on the bird-spotting app eBird. Birds of prey and waterbirds seem to have been hit particularly hard owing to habitat destruction, hunting and the pet trade.