The sight of cigarette butts delicately woven
into birds’ nests sparks an array of reactions, from relief that birds are
adapting to urban environments to disgust at the display of human disregard for
wildlife. But a new study suggests that some birds may benefit from nesting
with cigarette butts. The nicotine lingering in filters may serve as an
insecticide, driving parasites away from the nests and the baby birds living
within.
As horrifying as the idea of baby birds growing
up in a cigarette-filled home sounds, it’s not too surprising: the fluffy
plastic in cigarette filters makes a fantastic construction material. However,
cigarette butts are undoubtably smelly—a fact that has even driven people away
from keeping them around.
But birds are actually quite fond of the chemicals found in some smelly plants,
otherwise known as aromatics, from which “essential oils” are derived. Aromatic
plants produce these chemicals to defend themselves against insects and other
animals that would take them for food—but birds have their own use for
them. Some nest-building species, including starlings and blue tits,
regularly replenish their nests with fresh aromatics, and scientists
hypothesize that the birds use these chemicals as parenting tools.
How would plant-derived chemicals help birds
raise their chicks? It’s possible that the chemicals boost the immune systems
or development of the chicks so that they survive better after they leave the
nest; this is known as the “drug hypothesis.” Alternatively, the “nest protection” hypothesis suggests that the plant
chemicals act as insecticides, driving parasites and other harmful insects
from the nest.
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