Published: 11:44 BST, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 12:26 BST, 12 August 2026
Millions of people will have their eyes to the skies tonight, as a solar eclipse sweeps across Europe.
Aside from being incredible to look at, solar eclipses are also known to spark cascades of strange events.
The unexpected darkness will disrupt many animals' internal clocks, leading to confusion and anxiety.
'Some animals rely even more heavily on light cues; birds are one example,' explained Dr Kristina Paradowski, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
'If a pet bird is out of its cage, it may go back in and find its perch as if it is nighttime.
'Pet birds in the path of totality will likely be more vocal in periods prior to and after the eclipse, but silent during the peak eclipse.'
Research has also shown that previous eclipses have led to a spike in traffic accidents.
What's more, a 2011 study found that even microbes get muddled during these celestial events – with some species changing shape during the peak.
Millions of people will have their eyes to the skies tonight, as a solar eclipse sweeps across Europe. Aside from being incredible to look at, solar eclipses are also known to spark cascades of strange events
Unlike humans, animals can't read clocks, and instead rely on cues from nature to understand what time of day it is.
This means the darkened sky brought on by an eclipse can cause wildlife to shift their routines.
For example, during the 2017 total solar eclipse over the US, fireflies started flashing their lights when the eclipse hit its peak.
'The arrival of darkness triggers many species of firefly to produce a chemical reaction that lights up their abdomen. This light is a signal to attract potential mates,' the US Fish & Wildlife Service explained.
And during a 1991 total eclipse over Mexico, spiders were found to start taking their webs down, as if it were nighttime.
