Seabirds foraging at sea face deadly threats from eating plastics and being caught up in longline fisheries bycatch, but a new study reveals their colour preferences play a big part in their vulnerability to these human activities.
The Honours study published in Animal Behaviour explored the colours seabirds preferred using different coloured baits, and how avoiding these colours in both fisheries and plastic ingestion contexts could prevent seabird mortalities.
“This is the first time seabird colour preferences have been tested while seabirds were eating the bait, rather than afterwards such as in bird vomit called ‘boluses’ or opening their stomachs after they had died,” said lead author Elliot Styles, who completed his Honours at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).
To read the full article, click the link below: Colour influences life or death ‘food’ choices for seabirds foraging at sea | University of Tasmania
