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PLASTIC AND BLOOD: A FAKE FOOD FOR THE BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus) IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
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Researchers documented black vultures in an urban Brazilian environment consuming low-density polyethylene plastic bags contaminated with blood residue, suggesting the birds mistook the bags for animal viscera—raising concern about plastic ingestion in urban scavengers and its potential health consequences.
The Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) is a neotropical necrophagous bird, recorded in city dumps and places with poor solid waste management.In this study we recorded, for the first time, eight individuals of Black vulture feeding on virgin plastic with blood on it.The event ocurred on October 7, 2024 at 4:30 pm, in the city of Teixeira de Freitas-BA.The plastic bags consumed were transparent, of the LDPE (low density polyethylene) type, known as virgin plastic.It was recorded that the bags contained only the remains of blood and/or blood and spices, probably from marinated meat.It can be seen that this type of plastic with blood and/or blood and spices can easily be mistaken for a viscera, such as an intestine or animal skin.Future studies could focus on vultures and other Brazilian urban birds that accidentally consume plastic as fake food, to understand the real implications for their health and life expectancy.
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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.