Patterns of plastic ingestion in Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) populations breeding in northern Patagonia, Argentina

YORIO, PABLO; MARINAO, CRISTIAN; KASINSKY, TATIANA; IBARRA, CYNTHIA; SUÁREZ, NICOLÁS

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2020 vol. 156

0025-326X

Human waste is aglobal concern, and volumes are growing rapidly. For opportunistic species,like many birds, urban waste offers alternative food which in turn may lead toplastic ingestion with potential negative effects. We assessed the incidence ofplastics and other marine debris in breeding Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) dietat nine colonies located along ~2400 km of coastline from southern Buenos Airesto southern Chubut, Argentina, using regurgitated pellets (n = 2355) and chickstomach content samples (n = 588). Plastics were recorded at all colonies, andincidence varied between 0.0 and 16.2% in adult pellets and 0.0?12.5% in chickstomach content samples, depending on the colony, breeding stage and year.Contrary to our expectation, incidence of debris  including plastics  in  Kelp Gull  diet  was relatively  low  despite its  opportunistic  feeding habits  and widespread use ofrefuse dumps, even at colonies located close (< 10 km) to theseanthropogenic food subsidies.