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Thrushes (Aves: Passeriformes) as indicators of microplastic pollution in terrestrial environments
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Researchers examined thrushes (songbirds) as sentinel species for terrestrial microplastic pollution, finding MPs in digestive tracts of birds sampled from multiple habitats. The study supports using thrushes as bioindicators of land-based plastic contamination, given their broad distribution and feeding behaviors that bring them into contact with soil and invertebrates.
Microplastic pollution is one of the leading global conservation issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of Common Blackbirds Turdus merula (N = 16) and Song Thrushes Turdus philomelos (N = 18), songbirds with exceptionally terrestrial lifestyles and a wide distribution range. We searched for microplastics of over 100 μm in size and assessed whether their contamination differed regarding the age of the birds and the time of year. We used birds that had died as a result of collision with anthropogenic infrastructure, which were sampled during wildlife monitoring of anthropogenic infrastructures and citizen science projects in north-eastern Poland. We found that all the analysed individuals contained microplastic in their gastrointestinal tracts, which were classified as fibers, fragments, films and pellets. A total number of 1073 microplastics were observed, mostly consisting of fibers (84 %) and films (10 %) below 1 mm in size. The dominant colours of microplastics were transparent (75 %) and brown (14 %). The species average microplastic concentration was higher in Song Thrushes (40.1) than Common Blackbirds (21.9), however the difference was not statistically significant. Moreover, we found no seasonal or age-related differences in microplastic ingestion in either species. While our results show a ubiquity of microplastics in terrestrial environments, they also indicate that thrushes have the potential to be used as indicators of microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems.
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The Presence of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Song Thrushes (Turdus philomelos) Wintering in Apulia (Southern Italy)—Preliminary Results
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Song thrushes hunted in southern Italy were found to contain microplastic fibers, films, fragments, and pellets in their digestive tracts, in a preliminary study of a migratory bird species that travels widely across Europe. The findings add to growing evidence that microplastic contamination is pervasive in terrestrial wildlife and that migratory birds may transport plastics across large geographic areas.
Wintering Thrushes as Microplastic Pollution Sentinels in the Ground-Foraging Guild of Mediterranean Olive Plantations
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All 32 wintering thrushes examined from Mediterranean olive orchards contained microplastics, with juveniles carrying significantly higher loads than adults and redwings harboring more particles than song thrushes, confirming these birds as effective pollution sentinels even outside breeding ranges. The findings reveal that microplastic contamination is pervasive in terrestrial agroecosystems and enters wildlife food chains through ground foraging.
Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in Thrushes: Analysis for Monitoring Environmental Quality by Comparing Different and Innovative Extraction Techniques
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Researchers developed and compared two innovative, cost-effective microplastic extraction techniques for thrush bird tissue, using birds as bioindicators to monitor environmental microplastic contamination through bioaccumulation analysis.
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.
Ingestion of anthropogenic particles by wild birds from urban riparian habitats.
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Researchers examined droppings from six wild bird species near rivers in Coimbra, Portugal, finding suspected plastic or human-made particles in 43% of samples. Song thrushes had the highest levels, mostly filaments and fibers, and chemical testing confirmed some particles were plastic, suggesting thrushes could help track pollution in cities.
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