Experts dismiss declare that new cell phone networks decreased chicken inhabitants

Multiple Facebook posts have been shared with a deceptive declare that new cell phone networks have led to a drop in chicken populations. Experts advised AFP there isn’t a conclusive hyperlink between the rollout of latest cell networks and the decline.

“Do you see how the birds have waned away with the development of cell radio waves 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G,” reads the textual content of a picture shared in this Sinhala-language Facebook publish on June 7, 2023.

The picture additionally has an illustration depicting the evolution of cell community expertise alongside a thinning flock of birds.

The identical deceptive declare has been shared on Facebook here and here.

Screenshot of the Facebook publish captured on August 18, 2023

Nearly half of all chicken species all over the world are in decline, with multiple in eight vulnerable to extinction, in accordance with probably the most recent State of the World’s Birds report in 2022 launched by BirdLife International, a world conservation group (archived link).

However, consultants advised AFP that Sri Lanka’s declining chicken populations can’t be blamed on developments in cell expertise alone.

“In Sri Lanka’s context it’s not potential to state with certainty that chicken populations have declined resulting from cell telecommunication radio waves as a result of there was no scientific research carried out on the topic,” Sarath Kotagama, a professor of zoology from the University of Colombo, advised AFP on August 17.

“Therefore it’s deceptive to say that developments in expertise are the trigger behind the drop in chicken populations,” he went on to say.

Pat Leonard, a media relations officer for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology within the United States, additionally advised AFP on August 17 that there was no proof to help the declare that radio waves hurt birds or their breeding cycles.

However, analysis has proven that the rollout of latest cell towers might adversely influence birds as they might collide with them.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that almost seven million birds die annually from placing communications towers within the nation (archived link).

“This is particularly true for migratory birds flying at evening who turn into disoriented and interested in the lights on the towers,” Leonard mentioned. “Reducing the variety of chicken deaths could come right down to altering the lighting system.”

She went on to say different elements which have contributed to the decline within the international chicken inhabitants are habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation in addition to free-roaming cats and accidents involving home windows, automobiles, energy strains, communication towers, and wind generators.