While I'm hardly an expert apparently those that are say that because we have less noise pollution the sparrows are feeling more free to put some sway into their songs! Has anyone heard a sparrow lately?
When the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown forced swathes of humanity back into their houses, the silence that swept across towns and cities was such that it got its own name. The “anthropause” saw a plummet in human behavior, some of the consequences of which included an increase in wildlife sightings and a reduction in harmful pollution such as carbon dioxide emissions (sadly, not long term). Another type of pollution that was curbed was sound, and new research published in the journal Science has revealed the surprising effect this had on San Francisco’s sparrows.
Imagine you’re at a crowded bar at the back of a noisy gig (remember those?). When you try to order a drink your speech is loud, strained and a little grating on the ears – not exactly your most flattering tone of voice. For white-crowned sparrows in San Francisco, this is a bit what it feels like for males attempting to lure in a lady with their soulful singing over the calamitous backdrop of traffic.
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/lockdown-silence-made-sparrows-song-sexier-thanks-to-a-quieter-arena/?ref=thefuturist
