Evaluating the impacts of a total solar eclipse on Midwest prairie soundscape

Madison F. Von Deylen, Sabeel Haddad & Susan N. Gershman. 2025. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2025.2564807

Abstract

Solar eclipses represent a rare natural experiment that allows researchers to evaluate the effect of sudden changes in ambient light on animal behavior. In this study, we examined the impact of the 8 April 2024 total solar eclipse on animal vocalizations and the overall soundscape in Midwestern United States prairie communities. The eclipse coincided with the breeding season for many prairie birds. We recorded changes in acoustic diversity, complexity, and intensity before, during, and after the eclipse at three prairie sites. To quantify shifts in soundscape patterns, we used several acoustic indices: the acoustic entropy index, the normalized difference soundscape index, the acoustic complexity index, and root mean squared amplitude. We hypothesized that the calling behavior of animals during the eclipse would mimic periods of low light, such as post-dusk, and that a measurable shift in soundscape activity would occur during the eclipse period. Our results showed significant variation in some metrics between days, with the highest biophonic activity observed on the day of the eclipse. We did not find differences between the time of the eclipse and the days before and after with respect to acoustic complexity. Although there are many popular narratives about the effects of total eclipses on animal behavior, most have not been experimentally confirmed. Our study is one of the few to have systematically quantified the effects of a total solar eclipse on soundscape.