What makes robins sing at night – answers to summary exercise

a) Birds tend to sing AT night in cities but not in rural areas.
b) Until recently it had been assumed that street lights in towns and cities tricked birds INTO thinking it was still daytime.
c) Scientists had suspected that street lighting in URBAN areas had kept birds awake long after they would normally settle in their nests in the countryside.
d) It has transpired that WHETHER birds sing at night or night is affected more by noise than by light.
e) They seem to dislike their birdsong being drowned OUT by the noise of heavy traffic.
f) They sing at night as a way of MAKING sure their nocturnal singing can be heard over the sound of traffic.
g) Their diurnal singing was simply not loud ENOUGH to be heard.
h) The DRAWBACK / DISADVANTAGE of nocturnal singing for birds is that they still have to be ready to sing in the dawn chorus, so they have a short night’s sleep.

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