One human being's concept of entertainment can be a life-threatening experience for a bird. Fireworks, which are ubiquitous at events across Turkey, may cause stress, heart attacks and even death for birds, experts warn.
Fireworks, a staple of parties, lit up the skies in the country once again during New Year's celebrations, despite bans by several municipalities following a deadly blast at a fireworks factory in 2020. Yet, their use is still widespread while there is no ban on their production or imports. Ergün Bacak, a wildlife expert from Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Vocational School of Forestry, said the fireworks' timing, usually at night, in particular, is troublesome for birds.
"Most avian creatures rest at night. They are not active at all. But a sudden flurry of lights in the sky and accompanying noise cause stress in them. They are scared of sound and light at night and sometimes, in panic, they can crash into things. Fireworks also can induce heart attacks among them," Bacak told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday.
Experts call upon authorities to ban fireworks displays, which can also sometimes cause injuries among humans too. Following this year's New Year's celebrations, animal lovers had shared videos of birds fleeing in panic amid fireworks spectacles in big cities on social media, voicing criticism. The use of fireworks is also criticized for being hazardous to public health as they emit chemical and potentially poisonous gases into the air as well.
Bacak said birds are extra sensitive to fireworks, as they are "animals which can get stressed even at the sound of thunder."
"Fireworks can cause other problems for them, like forcing them to flee their nests, and if they are in mating season and incubation, this may harm the process. For nocturnal birds, such as seagulls and migratory birds on the move at night, fireworks sometimes burn them alive or hurt them," he added. He lamented the lack of public awareness on the issue and said local or national administrations should take charge of the issue and ban the use of fireworks.
Özmen Yeltekin, an activist from the country's Biodiversity Studies Association, said the sound of fireworks can reach 200 decibels, something even harmful for human ears, and birds, more sensitive than humans, faced heightened risk. "Along with the noise, fireworks also disrupt their sleeping cycle," Yeltekin said.
