But instead of fish and squid, parents often return with balloon clips, pen caps, LEGO pieces, toy wheels, and bottle tops—mistaking plastic debris for prey.
The extent of the contamination is staggering. In one case, researchers discovered 778 pieces of plastic in the stomach of a single 80-day-old chick.
Today, it is estimated that every bird on the island carries at least 50 pieces of plastic in its digestive system.
Deadly Diet
Dr. Alex Bond, a senior curator of birds at the Natural History Museum, has been monitoring the island’s seabirds since 2009.
According to Bond, plastic can comprise up to 10 percent of a chick’s body weight, leaving little room for nutrition.
“The parents only lay one egg each year, and that chick hatches in late January,” Dr. Bond explained.
