Plastic is killing our birds (and other wildlife)

A friend gave me this bird’s nest which had plastic woven through it – whilst it is a beautiful structure it is also a real sign of the times with our reliance on plastic and disposables impacting the natural world.

I am familiar with the photographs of seabirds that have died with stomachs full of plastic that they have eaten having mistaken it for food but I hadn’t been aware of how discarded plastic is affecting the lives of terrestrial birds.

The reasons for incorporating plastics in nest building may be due to easier accessibility if natural materials are not as available or plastics may look more inviting, either way it is a result of our irresponsibility in not disposing of them so as not to endanger wildlife.

Chicks can die if they get entangled in synthetic fibres that have been used by the adult birds to build their nests. The chicks get entangled and the plastic slowly strangles their limbs causing necrosis and subsequent amputations leading to slow and painful deaths.

Baler twine has been identified as a particular problem in agricultural areas and I often find it in fields and roadsides in my rural environment.

Another issue is that bright coloured plastics can potentially attract predators to the nest if it is located outside rather than eg nesting boxes.

And if this is what is happening to birds then we can be sure that other wildlife is being adversely affected too.

I am now starting to make art focusing on this important issue, hoping that I can in some way bring it to peoples attention.

Here’s a link to an interesting scientific article with much more information.