Abstract
Impacts of anthropogenic inedible debris on seabirds have been well documented, but on inland waterbirds this kind of pollution remains poorly recorded. Herein we report 21 instances of inedible objects stuck in the bill of Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), a fish-eating waterbird which has the cutting edges of the mandible serrated. Disturbance and harm by pieces of plastic, rope, and cotton stuck in the bill were recorded. Debris caused drag and prevented the birds from fishing. Birds with small pieces of material stuck on their bills were still able to fish, but their hunting success decreased. When the debris was large and stuck on the bill for long, the birds possibly starved and some of them died. The time spent to clean up the bill was related to the type of material, ranging from 1 to 17 days. Our records illustrate the deleterious effect that anthropogenic debris has on the life of a Neotropical aquatic inland bird.
Highlights
Our records illustrate the deleterious effect that anthropogenic debris has on the life of a Neotropical aquatic inland bird
Anthropogenic debris is a worldwide problem for wildlife and its deleterious effect on seabirds and shorebirds that take the debris as food has been well documented (e.g. Azzarello & Van Vleet 1987, Avery-Gomm et al 2013, Donnelly-Greenan et al 2014)
The only record we found of Anhingidae entangled with anthropogenic material is a brief mention of an African Darter (Anhinga rufa) with its bill enmeshed in a clump of steel wool in South Africa (Ryan 2013)
Summary
Anthropogenic debris is a worldwide problem for wildlife and its deleterious effect on seabirds and shorebirds that take the debris as food has been well documented (e.g. Azzarello & Van Vleet 1987, Avery-Gomm et al 2013, Donnelly-Greenan et al 2014). This pollution type effect is rarely reported for inland waterbirds Darters and Anhingas (Anhingidae) dwell in a wide variety of inland waters, including lakes, ponds, slow-moving rivers, marshes and swamps. We report and comment on the disturbance and harm anthropogenic materials caused to a small population of Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga) at an urban site in South-eastern Brazil
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