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Ingestion of Unusual Items by Wetland Birds in Urban Landscapes


Affiliations
1 School of Life Sciences, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore 452 001, India
2 Department of Natural Resources Management and Geoinformatics, Khallikote University, G-Max Building on NH-16, Konisi, Berhampur 761 008, India
3 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatti, Coimbatore 641 108, India
 

In view of the variety of waste items casually disposed off by humans, a survey was conducted in two cities, Indore and Coimbatore, in roosting sites of colonial birds looking for unusual items in their food. Of the 891 regurgitated pellets ofbirds examined, about 53% in Coimbatore and 14% in Indore contained rubber bands, rubber balloons and small plastic debris. Rubber bands (95.3%), balloon (2.35%), plastic bits (1.41%) and plastic cap (0.94%) were found in the pellets. Among the rubber bands, red was the predominant colour (73.1%) followed by green (25%) and yellow (1.9%). These findings show that the birds misjudge an artefact as natural prey. The highly corroded rubber bands indicate the leaching of chemicals (like plasticizers and bisphenols), many of which are potential endocrine disruptors. The potential hazard from such leachable contaminants needs to be further studied. The present study also highlights the need for managing such deceptive wastes cautiously to safeguard wildlife.

Keywords

Pellets, Prey Mimicry, Regurgitation, Rubber Band, Solid Waste Management, Wetland Birds.
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  • Ingestion of Unusual Items by Wetland Birds in Urban Landscapes

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Authors

Abey Francis
School of Life Sciences, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore 452 001, India
B. Anjan Kumar Prusty
Department of Natural Resources Management and Geoinformatics, Khallikote University, G-Max Building on NH-16, Konisi, Berhampur 761 008, India
P. A. Azeez
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatti, Coimbatore 641 108, India

Abstract


In view of the variety of waste items casually disposed off by humans, a survey was conducted in two cities, Indore and Coimbatore, in roosting sites of colonial birds looking for unusual items in their food. Of the 891 regurgitated pellets ofbirds examined, about 53% in Coimbatore and 14% in Indore contained rubber bands, rubber balloons and small plastic debris. Rubber bands (95.3%), balloon (2.35%), plastic bits (1.41%) and plastic cap (0.94%) were found in the pellets. Among the rubber bands, red was the predominant colour (73.1%) followed by green (25%) and yellow (1.9%). These findings show that the birds misjudge an artefact as natural prey. The highly corroded rubber bands indicate the leaching of chemicals (like plasticizers and bisphenols), many of which are potential endocrine disruptors. The potential hazard from such leachable contaminants needs to be further studied. The present study also highlights the need for managing such deceptive wastes cautiously to safeguard wildlife.

Keywords


Pellets, Prey Mimicry, Regurgitation, Rubber Band, Solid Waste Management, Wetland Birds.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv118%2Fi6%2F977-983