Seabirds' Frequent Pooping Habits Surprise Scientists
Streaked Shearwaters poop every 4 to 10 minutes, losing 5% of their body mass hourly, a new study finds.
Why it matters
- Understanding seabird pooping habits can help study nutrient cycling and disease spread.
By the numbers
- 35 hours of footage from 15 birds.
- Birds poop every 4 to 10 minutes, averaging 5 times per hour.
- They lose about 5% of their body mass hourly due to this.
The big picture
- Seabirds play a significant role in ecosystems through their waste.
- This behavior might influence how nutrients move through ecosystems.
What they're saying
- Experts are surprised by the findings and suggest further research.
- Some comments are humorous or skeptical about the statistics.
Caveats
- The reasons for frequent pooping and in-flight defecation are not definitively explained.
- The frequency might be unique to Streaked Shearwaters.
What’s next
- More research is needed to understand if this behavior is common among seabirds.