A new study has found that seabird chicks are suffering from brain damage caused by ingesting plastic—despite appearing healthy on the outside. According to The Guardian, researchers from the University of Tasmania examined dozens of fledgling flesh-footed shearwaters from Lord Howe Island and found alarming results.
While these chicks look outwardly fit, blood tests revealed that many had been fed plastic fragments by their parents. The plastic, mistaken for food, accumulates in their stomachs and leads to internal organ damage—including to the liver, kidneys, and brain. The study, published in Science Advances, detected patterns of proteins in the birds’ blood that closely resemble those found in humans suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Lead researcher Alix de Jersey explained that even visually healthy birds are experiencing neurological issues. “It’s almost equivalent to a small child having Alzheimer’s,” she said. While some chicks can regurgitate plastic before migration, the sheer volume ingested—sometimes up to 10% of the bird’s bodyweight—makes recovery unlikely for many.
The shearwater, a migratory species flying from Australia to Japan, is one of the most plastic-affected birds in the world. Plastic research has often focused on visibly sick or dying animals, but this study reveals the hidden toll even on those that seem unharmed.
Previous investigations have found that fewer than 60 companies are responsible for over half of global plastic pollution, yet the cost is being paid by the world’s most vulnerable species.
Plastic waste is killing animals silently and invisibly. The best way to stop this is to cut plastic at the source—by ditching single-use packaging, choosing plant-based alternatives, and pushing for systemic change. Every choice you make can help save wildlife from suffering in silence.
This article by Nicholas Vincent was first published by One Green Planet on 14 March 2025. Lead Image: Image Credit :Barbarajo/Shutterstock.
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