Animals are inherently guided by cognitive biases that influence which perceptual cues they attend to, and which associations they learn. If we can understand which cues animals use to guide their behaviour, we can target these cues in a specific manner to change their behaviour.
— Alison Greggor
For decades, the lighthouse at Bardsey island in north Wales has shone its sweeping white light out across the Irish Sea at night, keeping sailors safe. However, the bright beam, which extends 22 miles across the water and is the only light source in the area, has also been implicated in the deaths of thousands of migrating birds who instinctively head towards it and often collide with the lighthouse. On one night in 2003, 40,000 birds landed on the island. Later this year the white light will be replaced by an intermittent red light in a move wildlife experts say could save large numbers of birds’ lives.
Scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter say this kind of action shows how research on animal behaviour can be used in conservation to mitigate the damage effects of humans on other species. They are calling for closer collaboration between conservationists and animal experts and are building a database to make it easier for conservationists to make use of existing research.
They say that while some animals have shown a remarkable ability to adapt to the impact humans have had on their environment, others have had to put up with the disastrous consequences of life lived in the human shadow. Understanding what drives animals’ perceptual and learning systems may significantly improve their outcome. In the case of birds, for instance, studies show changing the colour of the light emitted by a lighthouse makes birds less likely to be attracted to it.
In a recent paper in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, specialists in animal cognition, including Professor Nicky Clayton from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, argue that by understanding animals' behaviour, scientists can "purposefully alter" how they respond to their environment in ways that can help preserve them.
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Image:La Hague lighthouse
Credit: Wiki Commons
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
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