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Effects Of Experimentally Elevated Traffic Noise On Nestling White-Crowned Sparrow Stress Physiology, Immune Function And Life History, Ondi L. Crino, Erin E. Johnson, Jessica L. Blickley, Gail L. Patricelli, Creagh W. Breuner

Jessica L Blickley

Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads decrease reproductive success and biodiversity and increase physiological stress. Although the consequences of roads on individuals and communities have been well described, the mechanisms through which roads affect birds remain largely unexplored. Here, we examine one mechanism through which roads could affect birds: traffic noise. We exposed nestling mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) to experimentally elevated traffic noise for 5 days during the nestling period. Following exposure to traffic noise we measured nestling stress physiology, immune function, body size, condition and survival. Based …