Effects of flashing lights on sleep and nocturnal vigilance in Indian peafowl (Pavo crisatus)
Artificial light affects the body’s biological clocks. The circadian rhythm, which controls the sleep/wake cycle, is particularly affected by artificial light . My research uses Indian peafowl (Pavo crisatus) as a model organism to test how sleep differs between constant, flashing, and no light. We use an accelerometer to measure the number of times the peafowl move their heads during the night to quantify the number of times the bird wakes up or moves during the night.
Influence of light pollution from vehicles on avian reproduction
Vehicle noise affects some species’ reproductive success, but not others. However, there is little known about the effects of vehicle lights on reproductive success. My research tests how white-eyed vireos (Vireo griseus) respond to constant, flashing, and no light treatments throughout the breeding season. I am looking at both behavioral mechanisms (provisioning, predator defense) and physiological mechanisms (melatonin, corticosterone) change when exposed to vehicle light pollution.
Kalina Eskew 