As the April 2024 solar eclipse crossed North America, humans weren't the only ones affected by the dimming of the midday sun. A new study revealed that at least 29 bird species showed changes in their vocalizations before, during and after the eclipse. Some even burst into a "false dawn chorus" as full sunlight returned.
In the lead-up to the eclipse, educators at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington, Indiana — which was located in the eclipse's path of totality — brainstormed ways to get the public involved with eclipse-related science. They conceived of a mission to study how changes in light affect wild birds.
