Weve become aware of marine wildlife, from seabirds to whales, consuming plastic waste and the problems this causes to their health. However what about terrestrial animals? A new research study discovered black and turkey vultures (Coragyps atratus and Cathartes aura) living in cities frequently consume plastic waste, which they might even be doing this on function.
” Black vultures and turkey vultures in areas with more city development and a higher density of industrial food suppliers ingest more plastic,” Hannah Partridge, study lead author, said in a media declaration. “Its possible that they consume a few of this plastic on purpose rather than solely by accident, as is typically thought.”
Image credits: Hannah Partridge.
In a brand-new study, researchers from the United States have actually discovered that the amount of plastic eaten by black and turkey vultures can be forecasted based upon suburban and exurban maps. The more density of human commerce within urbanized landscapes, the more opportunities of them eating plastics. The research study was released in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
Black vultures are known to use human-made structures and resources. They roost on transmission and cellular towers, nest in deserted buildings and forage regularly at street dumpsters, landfills, and markets. Turkey vultures might likewise utilize human-subsidized resources in urbanized environments, such as transmission towers.
Plastic materials have actually been discovered in regurgitated black vulture pellets since at least the 1980s, previous studies have actually shown. Vultures might be intentionally or unintentionally ingesting plastic materials, misinterpreting them with bone fragments, or eating plastics from carcasses. The influence on their health is still not well comprehended.
Vultures and plastic waste
What can we do then to prevent plastic from being consumed by vultures? The researchers suggested for food service providers, from dining establishments to supermarkets, to make sure that their garbage is correctly bagged, that the garbage is left in the dumpster and the dumpster is closed. Banning single-use plastics in more locations can also make a difference, they said.
For their study, the researchers looked at eight common roosts shared by black and turkey vultures throughout the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, where 2.8 million individuals live. They collected over 1,000 pellets of undigested product thrown up by the vultures, 60% of which had plastic. Other parts were dirt, rocks, metal and animal remains.
These were the distance to the nearby garbage dump, the density of livestock producers, the amount of industrialized land cover and the density of commercial food suppliers– from small shops to supermarkets and dining establishments. They discovered the proportion of pellet mass with plastic increased with increasing city land cover and the density of food companies.
A brand-new study discovered black and turkey vultures (Coragyps atratus and Cathartes aura) living in cities frequently eat plastic waste, and that they may even be doing this on function.
The group identified various types of plastic product in the pellets. The most commonly found were silicone rubber, high density polyethylene, polyethylene and silicate bio polyethylene. They then searched for links between the quantity of plastic and four procedures of human advancement within increasing distance from the roost.
Based upon their results, the researchers concluded that black vultures may be eating plastics at the dumpsters of food suppliers. “They will typically roost over night on a transmission tower beside a junk food dining establishment and fly directly to the dumpster very first thing in the early morning. Turkey vultures do this less often,” Partridge stated in a statement.
Plastic products have actually been found in regurgitated black vulture pellets because at least the 1980s, previous studies have actually revealed. Vultures might be intentionally or accidentally consuming plastic products, misinterpreting them with bone fragments, or eating plastics from carcasses. In a new research study, researchers from the United States have discovered that the quantity of plastic consumed by black and turkey vultures can be predicted based on exurban and suburban maps. What can we do then to prevent plastic from being eaten by vultures?