Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Marine debris ingestion by adults and fledglings of Swinhoe's storm petrels in the Republic of Korea

Researchers analyzed stomach contents of stranded Swinhoe's storm petrel carcasses from a Korean breeding colony and found that both adults and fledglings ingested predominantly microplastics, with juveniles consuming more plastic by weight than adults and the two age groups ingesting different particle shapes, suggesting separate foraging behaviors.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by seabirds in New Caledonia, South Pacific

Researchers examined stomach contents of 90 seabirds from 12 species in New Caledonia and found plastic debris in 14.4% of individuals, with the highest rates in procellariids (petrels and shearwaters), providing the first plastic ingestion baseline for this Pacific island region.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion in seabirds of the western Indian Ocean

Researchers examined stomach contents of 222 seabirds from nine species in the western Indian Ocean and found plastic in all species, with tropical shearwaters (79%) and Barau's petrels (59%) most affected, and juvenile birds carrying significantly greater plastic mass than adults, indicating regional ocean plastic pollution and age-dependent exposure risks.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 71 citations
Article Tier 2

The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird

Researchers documented microplastic ingestion in Mediterranean storm petrels, finding that these planktivorous seabirds ingest microplastics while foraging in pelagic areas where plastic debris accumulates alongside their planktonic prey in ocean currents.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Seabirds in a flap: The ingestion of meso/macro marine debris, microplastics and oil/tar by marine and coastal birds in the United Arab Emirates

Researchers documented the first published data on solid marine debris, microplastic, and oil ingestion by seabirds in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea, finding that multiple coastal and marine bird species in the Middle East regularly ingest plastic particles and petroleum residues.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion: Are seabirds more affected than other marine species?

This review examines whether seabirds ingest plastic more frequently than other marine species, finding they are among the most affected groups with high rates of plastic ingestion documented across species. The review discusses factors including foraging behavior, habitat, and ocean plastic concentrations that explain why seabirds are particularly vulnerable.

2019 Revista de Iniciación Científica 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics by pelagic and coastal seabirds from temperate and tropical environments

Researchers examined microplastic exposure in pelagic and coastal seabird species from temperate and tropical marine environments, using the birds' broad spatial distribution and feeding behavior to assess microplastic distribution and concentration patterns across oceanic regions.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic Debris Ingestion by Avifauna in Eastern Australia

A study of Australian coastal and marine birds found widespread ingestion of anthropogenic debris across many species, with diving and surface-feeding birds most affected. This research highlights that plastic pollution poses a direct physical threat to seabird health across a broad range of Australian species, with debris ingestion linked to feeding ecology.

2016 PLoS ONE 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Seabird plastic ingestion differs among collection methods: Examples from the short-tailed shearwater.

This study compared plastic loads in short-tailed shearwaters collected as fishing bycatch versus naturally dead beached birds, finding that naturally dead birds carried significantly more plastic debris. The results suggest that studies relying only on beached carcasses overestimate typical plastic ingestion rates in seabird populations.

2018 Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Plastics Ingested by the Bioindicator Cory’s Shearwater from Tenerife Island (Canary Islands): Implications for Marine Environmental Monitoring

Researchers characterised 674 plastic items found in the stomachs of Cory's shearwater fledglings from the Canary Islands, finding that ingested plastics were predominantly large microplastics (1-5 mm, 82%) with threadlike morphology, and that the birds serve as effective bioindicators of marine plastic pollution in the eastern Atlantic.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Prevalência e tipos de plásticos em Albatrozes e Petréis (aves: procellariiformes)

Researchers quantified and classified plastic debris in Procellariiformes seabirds — albatrosses and petrels — found on Brazilian beaches, finding plastic ingestion in multiple species. These ocean-going birds are among the most vulnerable to plastic pollution because they feed from the ocean surface where plastics concentrate.

2022 Biodiversidade Brasileira 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Métodos para avaliação da exposição a poluentes plásticos em procellariiformes

This paper reviews methods for assessing plastic exposure in Procellariiformes seabirds — including albatrosses and petrels — focusing on how to measure plastic ingestion in both live and beached birds. Standardized methods are needed to monitor how plastic pollution affects these ocean-going birds over time.

2021 Biodiversidade Brasileira 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Seabirds from the poles: microplastics pollution sentinels

Researchers reviewed four decades of studies on microplastic ingestion by seabirds in Arctic and Antarctic regions, covering at least 13 species. They found that polar seabirds regularly ingest microplastics, with polyethylene being the most common type detected. The study highlights that even some of the most remote ecosystems on Earth are not immune to plastic pollution.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing

Researchers performed a global spatial risk analysis combining ocean plastic distribution data with the ranges of 186 seabird species to assess which birds face the greatest threat from plastic ingestion. They found that nearly 60% of all seabird species have been documented with plastic in their guts, and predicted that 99% of species will be affected by 2050 at current trends. The study identifies the Southern Ocean as a particular hotspot of risk where high plastic concentrations overlap with diverse and vulnerable seabird populations.

2015 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 940 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and mesoplastic contaminants in marine diving ducks: A first assessments from the coast of Japan

Researchers conducted the first assessment of plastic contamination in two species of mollusk-eating seaducks wintering along Japan's Pacific coast and found microplastics in all ten birds examined. The vast majority of particles were tiny fragments under 200 micrometers, a size class previously overlooked in seaduck studies, suggesting these birds ingest microplastics primarily through their contaminated prey.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Meta Analysis Tier 1

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.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Prey choice and ingestion of microplastics by common shelducks and common eiders in the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site

Researchers found microplastic contamination in over 92% of stomach samples and 74–86% of fecal samples from common eiders and common shelducks in the Wadden Sea, with plastic filaments under 5mm dominating, suggesting widespread and near-universal ingestion by these coastal seabirds.

2023 Marine Biology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

First report on the detection of microplastics from the feathers of black-tailed gulls in South Korea

This study found that microplastics — including polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and polystyrene — were present on the feathers of all sampled black-tailed gulls across two South Korean island populations, with particles in the 50–100 µm size range most common. The findings suggest that coastal-dwelling seabirds are routinely exposed to microplastics through their marine environment, with potential implications for feather function, insulation, and waterproofing.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Size and dynamics of microplastic in gastrointestinal tracts of Northern Fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialis ) and Sooty Shearwaters ( Ardenna grisea )

Researchers examined microplastic in the gastrointestinal tracts of 143 Northern Fulmars and 25 Sooty Shearwaters stranded on Oregon and Washington beaches, finding plastic in 89.5% and 64% of birds respectively, with larger particles concentrated in the stomach's upper chamber and no significant reduction in plastic load in birds held in a plastic-free rehabilitation environment for up to seven days.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Shorebirds ingest plastics too: what we know, what we do not know, and what we should do next

This review synthesized existing knowledge on plastic ingestion by shorebirds, finding that despite high potential exposure through foraging in contaminated habitats, research on shorebird plastic ingestion remains limited and requires more systematic investigation.

2022 Environmental Reviews 30 citations