POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 1, 2025 : Seeing birds flying in the blue sky with their wings spread wide, fills the heart with joy. Their chirping on the branches of trees or their sweet songs breaking the silent morning are like a unique gift of nature. But today, in the name of festivals, those same birds are becoming helpless.
The colorful lights and sounds of fireworks on New Year’s Eve are an expression of human joy. But how harmless is this joy? Have we ever thought about the fear and danger that this celebration can cause for other inhabitants of nature! A research paper published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment says that millions of birds are affected by fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
The American media outlet Salon raised the question at the beginning of the report, is there no alternative way to celebrate the New Year besides setting off fireworks?
Birds and other animals generally have a much better hearing than humans. The bright lights and loud noises that fill the sky during New Year celebrations are a nightmare for birds. When birds are in the safety of their homes at night, the sudden sound of fireworks scares them. Many birds die after getting stuck in electric wires, windows, or buildings. Many are burned by the flames of lanterns.
Loud noises cause them mental stress. Flashes of colored lights disorient them. Smoke from fireworks makes it difficult for them to breathe.
The report, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, states that the loud noise and bright lights of fireworks create fear in birds, making them 1,000 times more likely to leave their homes on this night than on any other night of the year.
Festivals bring us joy, but how fair is it if we have to pay the price of that joy to birds? The noise and lights of fireworks are not only painful for birds, but also for children, the elderly, and the sick. The loud noise puts pressure on the ears and heart of young children. In the case of the elderly and the sick, noise pollution worsens the physical condition.
A team of researchers in the Netherlands used weather radar and bird count analysis to study bird movements in areas where fireworks were being used, as well as in quiet areas. They found that the noise from fireworks had a negative impact on birds that could last for days.
Exceptional events can be held during the day as well, without harming nature or wildlife at night. Cultural events and eco-friendly activities can be organized that will not cause any problems for birds or other creatures. Initiatives like decorating with flowers, leaves or natural materials, taking initiatives like planting trees and celebrating through social activities like cleanliness drives or relief activities can be taken.
In addition, rural folk culture practices such as songs, dances, poetry readings and plays can be organized. To make the celebration educational, workshops on nature and environmental conservation can be organized for children and adults. That is, we can choose to have an eco-friendly and creative celebration by limiting the use of sound and light.
“Flying consumes a lot of energy for birds, so it’s important to disturb them as little as possible during the winter,” said Bart Hoekstra, an ecologist at the University of Amsterdam, in a statement. He and co-authors of the study noted that creating large firework-free zones or limiting fireworks to specific areas could help avoid this negative impact on birds.
Because it is our responsibility to create a safe environment for birds. May the new year be filled with new ideas. Let us dream of a world where neither birds, humans, nor nature will be harmed by human joy. ‘Let the festival be a joy, but let it not be the cause of anyone’s sorrow’, let us begin our journey in the new year with this expectation.
