Effects of nonionizing radiation on birds

1. With the ability to fly comes a greater probability of direct irradiation by nonionizing radiation. The effect of nonionizing radiation on birds is, therefore, of environmental significance. 2. Most biological effects of exposure to nonionizing radiation in avian species are a result of radiation-induced temperature increases. 3. The incubating avian egg provides a model to study nonthermal effects of microwave exposure since ambient incubation temperature can be adjusted to compensate for absorbed thermal energy. 4. Some studies have shown that exposure to nonthermal levels of nonionizing radiation affect a bird's ability to recover from acute physiological stressors. 5. Although earlier research indicated that modulated radiofrequency radiation increased calcium-ion efflux in chick forebrain tissue, criticism of experimental techniques and contradictory results between related studies have made final conclusions elusive. 6. Birds have been shown to be able to reliably detect magnetic fields in both the field and laboratory. Some researchers have reported malformations in chicken embryos exposed to a sinusoidal bipolar oscillating magnetic field.