Abstract
Abstract Here we present the first cases of birds using artificial plants as nest material. We report our findings for the common coot (Fulica atra) from Leiden, the Netherlands, in 2019. This is the first population of freshwater birds studied for its use of anthropogenic nest materials, and together with another report from the same year, the earliest case of an entire bird population with plastic in all nests. We also report the first artificial plants used as nesting material by birds, and discuss the implications of their usage as such.
Highlights
We have entered the Anthropocene, a new geological period defined by human impacts (Crutzen & Stoermer, 2000)
In 2019, all nests of the common coots breeding in the historical city centre of Leiden, the Netherlands, contained plastic (N = 12)
In 2019, artificial items were found in all the nests of the greater thornbirds (Phacellodomus ruber) studied by Blettler et al (2020) and the here presented population of common coots
Summary
We have entered the Anthropocene, a new geological period defined by human impacts (Crutzen & Stoermer, 2000). A starting point for the Anthropocene is the 1950s, which marked the onset of the mass-production of human-made substances, such as plastics Some birds actively surround themselves with plastic, as they use plastic for the construction of their nests; a recent review on this referred to 24 species that at that time were known to do so (Jagiello et al, 2019). This increases the risk of entanglement for both the parents and chicks (Montevecchi, 2008; Votier et al, 2011; Ryan, 2018). The more anthropogenic material used in bird nests, the higher the chances of entanglement, with often lethal consequences (Townsend & Barker, 2014)
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