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Changes in plastic ingestion by yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) over the breeding season
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Scientists studying seagulls in France found that nearly 84% of the birds' regurgitated pellets contained plastic, mostly bits of plastic sheeting like bags and wrappers. Interestingly, gulls seemed to eat slightly less plastic-contaminated food right when their chicks hatched, suggesting they instinctively try to feed their young safer meals. This matters for us too: it shows just how deeply plastic pollution has infiltrated wildlife food chains, the same food chains that eventually connect back to the fish and seafood many people eat.
Gulls can be particularly vulnerable to ingesting plastics when using anthropogenic food sources, with potential consequences for survival and reproductive success. Although birds are known to switch foraging habitats over the breeding season to provide higher quality food for chick provisioning, it is unclear what this means regarding the ingestion of plastics. Here, we tested whether breeding gulls decrease the amount of plastic ingested during reproduction by collecting pellets from a series of monitored nests at a large yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) colony in southern France. We found at least one plastic item in 83.9 % of the analyzed pellets, with the most abundant plastic type being polyethylene-based sheet plastic. As predicted, we found a slight decrease in the number of plastic items in pellets at chick hatching. These results suggest that gulls, like other birds, may adjust foraging habits to provide more digestible, less risky, food to chicks.
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Differential microplastic contamination of waterbirds in a coastal region associated with trophic groups and spatial distribution
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A study of waterbird feces in southern Brazil found that shorebirds feeding in sediments had far higher microplastic loads than fish-eating birds, and contamination was worst near urban areas, with polyester and PVC the most common polymers detected. Trophic position and proximity to cities both shape how much plastic wildlife ingests, providing a natural monitoring system for tracking coastal microplastic pollution.
Microplastics and terrestrial birds: a review on plastic ingestion in ecological linchpins
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Researchers reviewed how microplastic pollution affects terrestrial birds — key ecological indicators — finding documented harms including intestinal blockage and developmental disruption, with implications for entire food webs since birds that ingest plastics can concentrate and transfer contamination to other species, including humans.
Among-colony variation in plastic ingestion by Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) across the western Mediterranean basin
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This study investigated spatial variation in plastic ingestion by Yellow-legged gulls across 11 Mediterranean colonies over two years, finding that proximity to marine prey sources and agricultural land use significantly influenced plastic intake. The results suggest gulls can serve as reliable sentinel species for monitoring plastic pollution and tracking responses to improved waste management.
Contrasting patterns of plastic ingestion and transport by an opportunistic gull across urban and agricultural landscapes
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Researchers compared plastic ingestion and GPS-tracked transport behavior in yellow-legged gulls breeding in urban Barcelona versus an inland agricultural area, finding that urban gulls carried plastics in 100% of regurgitated pellets and transported roughly ten times more plastic debris to their colonies than their inland counterparts.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.