Lying on the edge of a country road, a walker has discovered a fallen bird’s nest riddled with unexpected household items.
It should be lined with natural fibres like moss or leaves, but instead it was filled with synthetic stuffing, plastic string, cotton, and even human hair.
Veteran rescuer Inga Tiere has been volunteering with WIRES for 12 years, and in that time, she’s seen little progress in tackling the impact that human garbage has on wildlife.
“We don’t seem to be getting anywhere,” she told Yahoo News.
Cotton, coconut fibre, synthetic stuffing, plastic string, and human hair were found inside the nest. Source: WIRES
Common behaviour that’s making pollution worse
The nest Inga found was at Long Point, near the Georges River in southwest Sydney.
Birds line their nests with soft items that are available to them, indicating synthetics have polluted the area, despite it being surrounded by bushland.
When consumers choose to buy pillows or soft toys that contain synthetic fibres, they need to understand they’ll be released into the environment as the product degrades.
Worse still, there is a common human behaviour that’s aggravating the problem.
“Well-meaning idiots are brushing their dogs and putting the fur out there for the birds, but it’s actually an issue because they get tangled,” she said.
“Also, sometimes people think they’re doing the right thing by taking their own hair off the brush and leaving it out instead of throwing it away.
“People need to be aware of the damage all those products can cause.”
US-style celebration generating more plastic
The problem with both synthetic fibres and long hairs is that they can entangle baby birds in nests.
Adult birds that shuffle as they walk, like pigeons, doves and seagulls, are also prone to getting the hairs caught around their legs and toes.
It can wrap around so tightly that it cuts off the blood supply, causing amputation.
The popularisation of US-style plastic home decorations, like fake spider webs for Halloween, is adding to the pollution problem.
But this is being balanced out by Aussies adopting more natural products, which are less harmful to the environment.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.