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The Resourcefulness of Coots: A Study on Plastic Nest-Building in Amsterdam
In a surprising demonstration of adaptability, common coots in Amsterdam have been repurposing plastic waste, such as food wrappers and masks, for nest construction for over three decades. This finding, published in the February issue of Ecology, highlights not only the pervasive issue of plastic pollution but also the intriguing ways wildlife can adapt to human environmental changes.
Biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands, points out the irony of this behavior: “It’s ironic to think that many of these single-use plastic items were briefly utilized by people, yet coots have incorporated them into their lives for generations.” Hiemstra has spent years researching urban birds and their nesting behaviors, revealing how these creatures utilize trash to build their homes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hiemstra noted coots incorporating face masks into their nests—a trend that continues today. His observations extend to other avian species as well, including magpies and crows, which have adopted human refuse like anti-bird spikes in their nest construction.
Revealing the History of Nest Building
In 2021, Hiemstra and his team excavated a coot nest situated on a wooden beam in the Rokin canal. The nest was constructed using various layers of plastic, particularly from food packaging. By examining the expiration dates on these items, researchers employed methods akin to archaeology to unravel the chronology of the nesting materials used by the coots.
Traditional nesting materials, primarily organic matter, decompose quickly, limiting the birds’ ability to reuse nests. The inclusion of durable plastics, however, allows coots to revisit and expand upon older nests, creating more stable structures. Hiemstra’s team identified 15 nests containing plastic remnants that spanned multiple years, indicating a pattern of reuse among the birds.
Challenges in Dating Nest Materials
Determining the precise timelines of nest construction through expiration dates presents certain challenges. Since plastic can persist for many years and potentially reappear in newer nests, researchers have to be cautious in their assessments. For example, Hiemstra discovered a 1970s brand chip bag nested among more recent materials, complicating historical deductions. Nonetheless, when clusters of items with similar expiration dates are found together, it strengthens the timeline’s reliability.
At the deepest layer of the Rokin nest, several wrappers dated back to the early 1990s, including a Mars Bar wrapper that celebrated the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Hiemstra commented on the remarkable condition of the wrapper: “Weirdly enough, the wrapper is in pristine condition, as if it were littered yesterday,” he said. “Yet you know it is 30 years old. It really shows plastic is here to stay.”
Conclusion
The ability of coots to adapt to their surroundings by using available resources, including plastic waste, not only sheds light on their behavior but also serves as a stark reminder of the environmental challenges posed by pollution. This phenomenon invites further exploration into how urban wildlife will continue to respond to an ever-changing landscape shaped by human activity.
Source
www.sciencenews.org