Traffic noise inhibits cognitive performance in a songbird

Noise pollution is commonly associated with human environments and
mounting evidence indicates that noise has a variety of negative effects
on wildlife. Noise has also been linked to cognitive impairment in humans
and because many animals use cognitively-intensive processes to overcome
environmental challenges, noise pollution has the potential to interfere
with cognitive function in animals living in urban areas or near roads. We
experimentally examined how road traffic noise impacts avian cognitive
performance by testing adult zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) on a
battery of foraging tasks in the presence or absence of traffic noise
playback. Here we show that traffic noise reduces cognitive performance,
including inhibitory control, motor learning, spatial memory, and social
learning, but not associative color learning. This study demonstrates a
novel mechanism through which anthropogenic noise can impact animals,
namely through cognitive interference, and suggests that noise pollution
may have previously unconsidered consequences for animals.