Female starlings prefer polluted males
Posted by Jim on Thursday, February 28th, 2008
From United Press International:
“Welsh scientists have found brain and behavioral changes in wild birds after the birds forage on invertebrates contaminated with environmental pollutants. Katherine Buchanan and colleagues at Cardiff University studied male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) foraging at a sewage treatment works and analyzed the earthworms that constitute their prey. The researchers found birds exposed to environmentally relevant levels of synthetic and natural estrogen developed longer and more complex songs compared with males in a control group…The researchers also found female starlings prefer the song of males exposed to the mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals, suggesting the potential for population level effects on reproductive success.”
This amazing study goes on to say that “the birds’ high vocal center — the area of the brain that controls male song complexity — became significantly enlarged in the contaminated birds.”
To paraphrase politics, “It’s the estrogen, stupid.” Maybe these birds are starting to croon more like Wayne Newton — instead of Barry White.
But who knows? Maybe the more “complex song” of the males is a lament that their beloved meals (worms) are now full of toxin. And the females are joining the pity party.
Do the animals know their world is deteriorating?
How could they not.
Tags: estrogen, sewage treatment, starlings