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Microplastic in an apex predator: evidence from Barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets in two sites with different levels of anthropization
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Researchers found evidence of microplastic contamination in barn owl pellets collected from two sites with different levels of human activity, marking the first such study of its kind. Several polymer types were identified in the pellets, indicating that microplastics are moving through terrestrial food chains to reach apex predators. The findings suggest that even wildlife in relatively natural landscapes is exposed to microplastic pollution through their prey.
Plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments and its accumulation along food chains has been poorly studied in birds. The Barn owl (Tyto alba) is an opportunistic and nocturnal apex predator feeding mostly on small mammals. In this note, we reported evidence of microplastics (MPs) contamination in Barn owl pellets collected, for the first time, in two sites with different levels of anthropization (low: natural landscape mosaic vs. high extensive croplands). The following polymers have been recorded: polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), expanded polyester (EPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyester (PL), viscose, and starch-based biopolymer. We found significant higher MPs frequency in the most anthropized site. Our results suggest that pellet' analysis may represent a cost-effective method for monitoring MP contamination along food chains in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Microplastic in an apex predator: evidence from barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets in two sites with different levels of anthropization
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This study found microplastics in barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets collected at two sites in Portugal with different levels of human activity. As apex predators in terrestrial food chains, barn owls accumulate microplastics from the small mammals they eat, demonstrating that microplastic contamination extends through land-based food webs.
Microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems: A study using barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets
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Researchers analyzed barn owl pellets as a non-invasive method to assess microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems. The study found confirmed microplastics in 33% of pellets collected from three agricultural areas, with polyethylene terephthalate microfibres being the most common type, suggesting that barn owl pellet analysis could serve as a cost-effective monitoring tool for terrestrial microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in long-eared owl (Asio otus) pellets: tracing contamination through prey
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Analysis of 292 long-eared owl pellets from agricultural, steppe, and forest habitats in Turkey found microplastics in all habitat types, with fibers dominant and concentrations correlated with prey abundance and intensity of nearby human activity. This demonstrates that microplastics are moving through terrestrial food webs via small mammal prey, reaching top predators and confirming trophic transfer as a key exposure pathway even in wildlife far from direct pollution sources.
Interspecific differences in microplastic accumulation and polymer profiles from regurgitated pellets of coexisting raptors
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Scientists studied tiny plastic bits (microplastics) found in the leftover indigestible pellets that owls and kestrels cough up after eating prey, and found that almost all the pellets contained plastic — with kestrels showing way more contamination than owls, even though the birds live in the same areas. This matters because it shows plastic pollution is working its way up the food chain into predators, which raises questions about how much plastic might also be building up in the meat, fish, and other animal products humans eat.
Testing and optimizing methodologies for microplastic extractions from owl pellets
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Researchers developed and compared procedures for extracting microplastics from owl pellets, identifying optimal methods that efficiently recovered both prey remains and microplastic particles without damage—providing a validated protocol for using owl pellets as passive biomonitors of environmental microplastic contamination.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.