White sky at night not a city bird's delight | @GrrlScientist

Free-living songbirds show increased stress hormone levels when nesting under white street lights. But different light spectra may have different physiological effects as this study finds, suggesting that using street lights with specific colour spectra may mitigate effects of light pollution on wildlife

A study published today in the journal Biology Letters reports that free-living urban songbirds have increased levels of the stress hormone, corticosterone, in their bloodstream when they nest under street lights. Higher corticosterone concentrations raises the likelihood that birds will prematurely abandon their nests, eggs and chicks. The study, which also investigated the effects of other colours of artificial lighting on wild birds, found that corticosterone levels decrease as nest distance increases from a lamppost with red lighting. This research suggests it may be possible to reduce the disturbing effects of night lighting on wildlife by using street lights with specific colour spectra.