Feathers in Polymer

Plastic, a substance which we use in our daily lives, is, as we all know, highly hazardous to our surroundings. Things made from it which are non-recyclable are fatal to plants, animals, human beings and birds. Even though major awareness has been spread about it, people still continue to discard used plastic items instead of reusing them, repeatedly throwing them anywhere. Such places include the soil, which gets contaminated by the chemicals in plastic and the rivers which carry away waste, which ultimately chokes some unlucky land or sea creature. Birds are one of the many creatures which fall victim to such occurrences. In this post, I shall be talking about how plastic can actually wipe off some species from the earth.


                                                                      Plastic bags lying outside the Golconda Fort, Telangana. Photography by: True Indian.

 -  Plastic or Food?

 Plastic is ingested mostly by sea birds and scavenger birds. Let me explain with an example of each, sea birds like the Barau's Petrel are accustomed to hunt at sea while scavenger birds like the White-backed Vulture are used to feeding on carcasses. It is a common known fact that plastic has found its way not just into the seas, but also into fish and other sea creatures hunted by sea birds. Vultures are also known to mistaken small pieces of plastic for fragments of bones. Chips of plastic have been found in the stomachs of many birds. Sharp plastic fragments also pierce the internal organs in a bird's body, making the consumption of plastic one of the many ways in which plastic is harmful to the existence of birds.

- Starving but Full.....

If a bird consumes plastic, it obviously won't be able to digest it but the plastic will remain in the bird's stomach. As a result, it will feel full at all times and it will stop eating the food which it requires to grow. Consequently, it will start starving. This type of occurrence can also lead to malnutrition in the bird's body as it will be lacking the required nutrients. Repeated consumption of plastic can also lead to a fatal condition called, 'plasticosis' in which the alimentary tract of the bird will get scarred and swollen, leading to the bird's health and growth being damaged. It may also become increasingly vulnerable to infections and parasites.

- From Home to Hell.....

Birds often use plastic to build their nests. If you just saw a bird carrying away a plastic bag to build a nest and are thinking of it as a very harmless action, then you are seriously wrong. Plastic can often entangle and trap small fledglings in a nest, as well as injure them. This can also prevent birds from hunting or escaping predators. Plastic nests can also suffocate, choke and and ultimately kill even an adult bird.

- Death by Toxins

Plastic is a substance which contains and absorbs many dangerous chemicals. Such chemicals can seriously harm birds when they are exposed to the toxins. It mainly occurs when a bird inhales microplastics present in the air.(Also for the above reasons) Studies have shown that birds can pass down ingested microplastics to their chicks. The toxins in plastic can also cause lung and kidney diseases in birds.



Approximately 1 million sea birds are killed each year because of plastic pollution. To reduce these occurrences, we have to spread awareness about how plastic pollution poses as a great threat to birds. Afterwards, it is the duty of all the people to reduce the use of plastic and try to reuse plastic items as much as possible.









                                    

   
                                                                       



 

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