AI, citizen science, and the 2024 eclipse emphasize the importance of light for bird behavior

On April 8th 2024, a total solar eclipse disrupted light-dark cycles for North American birds during the lead-up to spring reproduction. Compiling over 10,000 community observations and AI analyses of nearly 100,000 vocalizations, we found that bird behavior was significantly affected by these few minutes of unexpected afternoon darkness. More than half of wild bird species changed their biological rhythms, with many producing a dawn chorus in the aftermath of the eclipse. This natural experiment demonstrates the power of technology-enabled and public science projects to understand our natural world. Further, it underscores the power of light in structuring animal behavior: even when ‘night’ lasts for just four minutes, robust behavioral changes ensue.