Birds that depend on clean waterbodies and wetlands are at risk: PAU expert

Time of India

a day ago

Ludhiana: As International Plastic Bag Free Day is observed on July 3, rising use of plastics, including plastic bags, are posing an unprecedented threat to bird population. Ornithologists and conservationists are sounding urgent alarms about the growing menace of plastic pollution — that is choking habitats, contaminating food chains, and pushing several bird species to the brink of collapse.
Plastic has turned into a long-lasting hazard in natural ecosystems. Each year, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally, and a staggering amount finds its way into the open environment. In India, this translates into clogged village ponds, polluted rivers, and shrinking wetlands, all vital habitats for birdlife.
"Plastic pollution is now a leading factor contributing to bird population decline across India," Dr Tejdeep Kaur Kler, principal ornithologist and head of the zoology department at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.
"Carnivorous and insectivorous birds that depend on clean water bodies and wetlands are especially at risk."
Village ponds, traditionally key sources of drinking water and biodiversity, in most villages have become open dumping grounds for domestic waste, especially plastic wrappers, single-use bags, and packaging material. "Even if this waste is thrown far from water bodies, the rains wash it into ponds, which generally are in low lying areas.
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The result is suffocating layers of plastic waste around aquatic ecosystems right where many birds feed and nest," explains Dr Kler.
Plastic impacts birds in multiple deadly ways. Many mistake colorful plastic fragments for food bottle caps resemble eggs or snails, shredded bags look like worms or jellyfish. Ingested plastics fill the gut and block the digestive system, causing starvation and death. Parents also feed these items to their chicks unknowingly, mistaking them for prey.
Recent field reports from Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam reveal deaths of kingfishers, herons, and egrets with plastics inside their stomachs, she stated.
Species such as vultures, eagles, and the Ruddy Shelduck, crans, and many more species of birds that rely heavily on clean aquatic habitats and a balanced food chain are facing alarming declines. "Hundreds of species are witnessing population drops. The Ruddy Shelduck has declined sharply.
So have scavenging raptors and fish-eating birds," notes Dr Kler, citing a 2023 national study which identified 178 of 942 recorded bird species in India as needing immediate conservation attention.
Another 323 species were classified under moderate conservation concern.
The plastic threat extends beyond ingestion. Birds often become entangled in plastic ropes, packaging bands, and kite strings, leading to injuries, restricted movement, and death.
Urban species such as kites and pigeons are increasingly seen with deformed limbs or wings due to plastic threads, especially during kite flying festivals.
'Bird nests no longer safe'
Even bird nests are no longer safe. Many urban birds now incorporate synthetic fibers and plastic strips into their nests, which leach toxins, retain excess heat, and entangle chicks before they can fledge. Insects, fish, and other prey consumed by birds are themselves contaminated with microplastics tiny fragments that carry hazardous chemicals like DDT and PCBs, known to disrupt hormones and immunity.
A 2022 study by the Indian Institute of Science even detected microplastics in crow feces in Bengaluru, indicating how deep and invisible the plastic infiltration runs, she said.
Wetlands and marshes, which host a wide range of migratory and resident birds, are particularly vulnerable. Plastic clogs aquatic vegetation, reduces fish nurseries, and alters the food web. In places like Chilika Lake in Odisha and East Kolkata Wetlands, scientists have linked falling bird counts to plastic contamination in water bodies, she stated.
'Weak enforcement of plastic ban'
Despite bans on single-use plastics at the national level in 2022 and earlier initiatives like Punjab's 2016 prohibition on plastic bags, enforcement remains weak. Informal dumping continues unabated, and waste collection and segregation mechanisms are often inadequate or non-functional in rural and peri-urban areas.
"Birds are indicators of environmental health. When they disappear, it is not just their loss it is a warning to humanity. If plastic continues to poison our rivers, ponds, and skies, the silence of the birds will soon echo our own ecological failure," she stated.