Audubon‑cited researchers found 5‑mm microplastic fragments in the nests and bodies of suburban and urban backyard birds, calling the discovery "eye‑opening." The study indicates plastics move through everyday food chains via water and prey. Scientists warn ingestion can disrupt digestion and ecosystem services; WWF notes some plastics can take up to 200 years to break down. Reducing single‑use plastics and supporting policies to curb plastic production can help slow microplastic flow into nature.
Scientists Alarmed as 5‑mm Microplastics Turn Up in Backyard Birds' Nests and Bodies
Researchers cited by Audubon have detected tiny microplastic fragments — about 5 millimetres across — inside the nests and bodies of birds that live in suburban and urban backyards. The team described the discovery as "eye-opening to see," suggesting that microplastic exposure is widespread even in ordinary neighbourhoods.
How Microplastics Reach Backyard Birds
According to Audubon, microplastics reach birds through multiple pathways, including contaminated water and prey. Birds are likely exposed when they eat insects or other organisms that have already ingested plastic particles, allowing plastic to move through urban and suburban food chains as well as marine and industrial systems.
Potential Impacts on Birds and Ecosystems
Scientists warn that ingesting microplastics can interfere with digestion and may produce physiological harm, though the full long‑term effects remain under study. Even modest disruptions to bird health or behaviour can have outsized effects on ecosystem services such as natural pest control and seed dispersal. Birds that live near people already face habitat loss and other stressors; added plastic contamination further reduces ecosystem resilience.
Researchers also note related risks: wild birds living close to humans have been shown to carry a broader range of antibiotic‑resistant bacteria, a sign that human activity is influencing disease dynamics and ecosystem health.
What You Can Do
Conservation groups and scientists say the most effective way to reduce wildlife exposure is to cut plastic pollution at its source. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) notes that common disposable items such as straws can take up to 200 years to break down. Simple actions — using fewer single‑use plastics, reusing items already in circulation, and supporting policies that limit plastic production — can help reduce the microplastic particles that make their way into soil, wildlife and human bodies.
Bottom line: Microplastics are not only a marine problem; they are present in everyday neighbourhoods and can enter local food webs, posing risks to birds and broader ecosystem health.
