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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Ecological interactions influencing microplastic loading in small terrestrial birds
ClearDifferences in microplastics in passerine feces across species, diet, and foraging location
Researchers analyzed fecal samples from five passerine bird species and found microplastics in all of them, with ground-foraging species carrying higher particle loads and insectivores ingesting more fragment-shaped particles than omnivores — suggesting that feeding behavior and habitat determine which bird species face the greatest microplastic exposure risk.
Breeding seabirds as vectors of microplastics from sea to land: Evidence from colonies in Arctic Canada
Breeding seabirds were studied as potential vectors transporting microplastics from the sea to land via regurgitation and excretion at colony sites. Evidence from colony soils confirmed that seabirds transfer marine-sourced microplastics to terrestrial environments, with colony sites accumulating elevated microplastic concentrations compared to surrounding habitats.
Plastic debris in bird nests: sources, ecological impacts, and bioindicator potential for monitoring microplastic pollution
This review examines how birds increasingly use plastic debris as nesting material, and the ecological consequences of this behavior. Researchers found that the most common plastics in nests are polypropylene and polyethylene, which fragment into smaller pieces over time, exposing birds to entanglement, ingestion, and toxic chemical additives. The study suggests that birds can serve as useful bioindicators for monitoring the extent of microplastic pollution in their surrounding environments.
Anthropogenic nest materials in two distinct populations of migratory bird in Europe.
Researchers examined the incorporation of anthropogenic nest materials, including plastic debris, by two distinct migratory bird populations in Europe, assessing how habitat transformation and plastic pollution affect nesting behavior. The study found that birds in both populations used plastic materials as nest components, with the prevalence and types of anthropogenic materials reflecting local availability and degree of habitat modification.
Why do some bird species incorporate more anthropogenic materials into their nests than others?
This review examines why certain bird species incorporate plastic and other human-made materials into their nests more than others, considering factors like habitat, diet, and nesting style. While the materials can sometimes provide benefits like pest deterrence, they also carry risks including entanglement and reduced insulation. The study illustrates how pervasive plastic pollution has become in natural ecosystems, with wildlife interactions serving as indicators of environmental microplastic contamination.
Variation in the use of anthropogenic materials in tit nests: influence of human activities and pandemic restrictions
Researchers studied the nesting materials of great tits and blue tits in a suburban area of Portugal and found that nearly 10% of materials in great tit nests were human-made, including synthetic fibers and plastic fragments. More anthropogenic materials were found in nests closer to roads and developed areas. This research illustrates how plastic pollution infiltrates even the nesting behavior of wild birds, demonstrating the pervasiveness of microplastic contamination in the environment.
Seabirds as biovectors in the transport of plastic debris across ecosystem borders: A case study from the Humboldt Current Upwelling System
This study examined how seabirds transport plastic debris across ecosystem boundaries, finding that foraging at sea and nesting on land creates significant cross-ecosystem transfer of plastics through regurgitation, feces, and nest materials.
A methodology for the sampling and identification of microplastics in bird nests
Researchers developed and tested a green (chemical-free) method to extract and identify microplastics from bird nests, finding an average of 250 microplastic items per nest in urban Great-tailed grackle nests, mostly synthetic polyethylene and polypropylene fibers. Bird nests offer a practical, non-invasive way to monitor microplastic contamination in urban and terrestrial environments.
Foraging strategy influences the quantity of ingested micro- and nanoplastics in shorebirds
Researchers found that surface-feeding shorebirds in Tasmania ingested 32 times more micro- and nanoplastics than deeper-foraging species, indicating that foraging strategy rather than local sediment contamination levels determines plastic exposure in coastal birds.
Do birds select the plastics debris used for nest construction? A case study in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape
Researchers studied plastic debris in the nests of two Mediterranean bird species and found that both magpies and serins actively select plastic filaments over other plastic shapes — likely because filaments resemble natural nesting fibers — with 71–96% of nests containing plastic, raising concerns about wildlife behavioral adaptation to pervasive pollution.
Microplastics presence in wild bird species through an environmental forensic lens
This study examined microplastic presence in wild bird species using an environmental forensics approach, finding plastic particles across multiple bird taxa in ecosystems ranging from urban to remote. The results highlight wild birds as both sentinels of and victims of plastic pollution.
Do different habits affect microplastics contents in organisms? A trait-based analysis on salt marsh species
Scientists measured microplastic occurrence in six benthic invertebrate species from salt marshes in northern Italy and the Netherlands, finding that species feeding habits, body size, and habitat use were better predictors of microplastic contamination than sampling location alone.
Thrushes (Aves: Passeriformes) as indicators of microplastic pollution in terrestrial environments
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 accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of nestling and adult migratory birds
Researchers examined microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of both nestling and adult migratory birds across six species, finding widespread plastic ingestion with fibers predominating, suggesting that microplastic exposure begins early in avian life stages.
The influence of microplastics on trophic interaction strengths and oviposition preferences of dipterans
Microplastic pollution in freshwater environments was found to alter predator-prey interactions and oviposition site preferences in aquatic dipteran insects, with implications for food web structure. The study highlights that microplastics can have indirect ecological effects by interfering with animal behavior and species interactions beyond direct toxicity.
Microplastic in Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Soil?
This review examined the occurrence and behavior of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems and soils, questioning how particles move through and accumulate in soils and calling for more research on land-based microplastic impacts.
Species-specific accumulation of microplastics in different bird species from South China: A comprehensive analysis
Across 24 bird species in South China, insectivorous birds accumulated significantly more small microplastics (under 0.1 mm) than other feeding guilds, while piscivorous birds accumulated more large microplastics (over 1 mm). Diet source was a stronger predictor of microplastic contamination than trophic level or body weight, with polypropylene and PET as the dominant polymer types found.