How human trash in Australian bird nests changed over 195 years

[Still Waters]

When we opened a box supplied by museum curators, our research team audibly gasped. Inside was a huge Australian magpie nest from 2018.

It was more than a meter wide and made up of the strangest assortment of items, including wire coat hangers, headphones, saw blades and plastic 3D glasses—a mix of detritus reflecting our modern lifestyle.

This was one of almost 900 Australian nest specimens dating back over 195 years that we inspected for our recent, world-first study.

We estimate that today, around 30% of Australian bird nests incorporate human-made materials (primarily plastics). We also noted a steady increase in nest parasites over this period.

https://theconversation.com/headphones-saw-blades-coat-hangers-how-human-trash-in-australian-bird-nests-changed-over-195-years-164316

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00442-021-04982-z