Birds influenced by road speed limits

Birds observe speed limits on the roads even if motorists choose to ignore them, a study has found.

On roads with higher speed limits, birds are quicker to take to the air to avoid on-coming traffic, but where limits are lower, they wait longer.

The behaviour is related to speed restrictions and not the result of birds assessing the speed of approaching vehicles, researchers found.

Scientists admitted breaking speed limits to carry out the study in western France.