Millions of birds lose valuable energy from New Year’s Eve fireworks, study finds

Birds are affected by the massive use of fireworks on New Year’s Eve at a distance of up to 10 km. Using data from weather radars and bird counts, an international team of researchers revealed how many birds took off immediately after the fireworks started, how far from the fireworks this happened and which groups of birds species mainly reacted.

“We already knew that many waterbirds reacted strongly, but we are now also seeing the effect on other birds in the Netherlands,” says ecologist Bart Hoekstra from the University of Amsterdam. In the magazine Frontiers of ecology and environmentresearchers therefore advocate for large zones without fireworks.

On New Year’s Eve, there are on average 1,000 times more birds in the air near fireworks than on other nights, with peaks of 10,000 to 100,000 times the normal number of birds . The effects are strongest in the first 5 kilometers of the fireworks display, but up to 10 km there are still on average at least ten times more birds flying than usual.

“Birds take off following an acute flight reaction due to sudden noise and light. In a country like the Netherlands, which has many wintering birds, we are talking about millions of birds affected by the ignition of fireworks,” says Hoekstra.

Weather radar and bird counting

Last year, other IBED researchers found that geese are so affected by fireworks that they spend on average 10% more time than usual searching for food for at least the following 11 days. They apparently need this time to replenish lost energy or to compensate for the unknown power zone they found themselves in after fleeing the fireworks.

Hoekstra’s study looked at which species take flight after fireworks and when it happens. It used information from weather radars at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute during a clear New Year’s Eve and other normal nights. He combined this with distribution data from Sovon, the Dutch Field Ornithology Centre, based on bird counts carried out by hundreds of volunteers.

“We already knew that many waterbirds react strongly, but we still don’t know how birds outside of these bodies of water react to fireworks. Thanks to the counts, we know exactly where the birds are and , thanks to radar images, we can see where they are actually moving. “off because of the fireworks.” Using this data, Hoekstra was able to calculate how many birds take off immediately after the fireworks start, at what distance from the fireworks this happens and which species groups mainly react.

Panic in the air

The analysis clearly shows that in the study areas around the Den Helder and Herwijnen radars alone, almost 400,000 birds take off immediately at the start of the New Year’s Eve fireworks. Furthermore, it seems that the birds the larger ones, especially in open areas, fly for hours and at remarkable altitudes.

Hoekstra explains: “Larger birds, such as geese, ducks and seagulls, fly hundreds of meters high due to the large-scale firing of fireworks and stay in the air for up to an hour. in bad winter weather, or that they will not know where they are flying due to panic and accidents could occur.

“Restrict fireworks in central areas”

Given that 62% of all birds in the Netherlands live within 2.5 km of populated areas, the consequences of fireworks are serious for all birds throughout the country.

“Flying requires a lot of energy, so ideally birds should be disturbed as little as possible during the cold winter months. Measures to ensure this are particularly important in open areas such as grasslands, where many birds larger ones overwinter. The effects of fireworks on birds are less pronounced near forests and semi-open habitats. Additionally, smaller birds such as tits and finches live there, which are less likely to fly away from disturbances.

The authors advocate for fireworks-free zones in areas where large birds live. Hoekstra says: “These buffer zones could be smaller in areas where light and sound travel less far, such as near forests. Additionally, fireworks should primarily be lit at central locations in built-up areas, as far away from birds as possible. It would be better for birds if we turned to light shows without sound, such as drone shows or decorative fireworks without very loud bangs.