Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Laurie S. Eberhardt
College
Arts and Sciences
Discipline(s)
Biology
ORCID Identifier(s)
0000-0002-9428-2111, 0000-0003-0144-5821
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-25-2024
Abstract
Rising levels of plastic pollution in the environment continue to impact aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including birds when they incorporate it into their nests. Whether the use of plastic as nesting material is entirely helpful or harmful is largely unknown. Potential detrimental effects of incorporating non-anthropogenic matter as nesting material include entanglement, ingestion, alteration of thermal properties, and increase in predation risk. The proportion of plastic used in robin (Turdus migratorius) nests was determined in 3 types of locations in Northwest Indiana. These sites included shopping area parking lots, Valparaiso University campus, and local parks. Post-breeding season robin nests (n=44, f=4.51, p<.025) were collected and dissected. Overall, 89% of the nests contained plastic. The nests with the most plastic originated from shopping areas. The effects plastic material had on nest predation rate were examined by placing artificial and natural nests around campus with model clay eggs. Half of the trials had white polyethylene plastic incorporated into their nests, and half contained no plastic. Time to nest disturbance or the presence of animal markings on the eggs were used to measure predation. In 2022, 74% of the nests were attacked with more predation from bird species than mammals. The time until predation was significantly longer for nests with plastic (n=11, t=2.3, p<.050). In 2023, the experiment was replicated, and results indicated that the time until predation was significantly longer for nests without plastic. Future research is required to understand the comprehensive impacts plastic has on bird nest quality and breeding success.
Recommended Citation
Torgerson, Elissa G.; Kennedy, Chloe; King, Li; and Eberhardt, Laurie S., "Use of Plastic Nesting Material and its Potential Impact on American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Nests" (2024). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1336.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1336
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Elissa Torgerson is a senior Biology and Humanities double major with a minor in Chemistry. Chloe Kennedy is a senior Environmental Science major with minors in Biology and Meteorology. Li King is a senior Environmental Science and Biology double major.