It’s now clear why, when you’re attempting to sleep in on Saturday mornings, there will inevitably be some obnoxious birdsong keeping you from actually getting those extra precious minutes of shut-eye. According to findings in a new study by researchers from University of Colorado and Fort Lewis College, the birds may be getting revenge for the noise that we create. The researchers state that, “Human-generated noise pollution now permeates natural habitats worldwide…[threatening] wildlife, and especially birds, via changes to species densities, foraging behavior, reproductive success, and predator-prey interactions.” That’s right, our noise pollution is ruining their sex lives.

Not to make too light of something that is potentially a very serious issue for bird populations and the avian food chain, but it’s a bit like the obnoxious roommate’s “band” rehearsing in the room next door while you’re trying to work your mojo on a hot date. The only problem is that this is happening globally and, to extend the metaphor, it’s all roommates everywhere.

Part of the reason for this widespread disruption is that birdsong, or particularly mating calls, are acoustic in nature and can be greatly effected by human-made noise pollution. This forces birds to leave an otherwise suitable area for breeding, and dramatically reduces the number of opportunities to breed. In addition, larger species of birds, who tend to be endangered or at least threatened anyway) are more susceptible to these disruptions that smaller species of birds. The reason is that larger birds emit lower frequency signals which are easily overpowered by the kinds of noisy disruptions that are created by people (electronic noise, music, traffic, etc.), whereas smaller birds with higher frequency signals can, in many cases, cut through the din.

The potential environmental impact of human-made noise pollution is still uncertain, but if an entire biological system is so significantly effected by it, one can be sure that the ripples will be felt throughout the ecosystem.

In the past, it was climate, natural disasters, and predatory species that were the forces manipulating a species evolution. Now it seems that human activity has become so pervasive (and invasive) that we unintentionally influence the evolution, the breeding and survival patterns, of the environment around us. Whether it’s pollution in the water, the networks of infrastructure that unwitting segregate ecosystems, or the outdoor concerts and blaring stereos that disrupt bird populations; we’ve certainly made our presence known. Perhaps we deserve the sleepless mornings.