Ryan (1988) performed an experiment with domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus) to establish the potential effects of ingested plastic particles on seabirds. They were fed with polyethylene pellets and the results indi- cated that ingested plastics reduce meal size by reducing the storage volume of the stomach and the feeding stimulus. He concluded that seabirds with large plastic loads have reduced food consumption, which limits their ability to lay down fat deposits, thus reducingfitness. Connors and Smith (1982) had previously reached the same conclusion, as their study indicated that the in- gestion of plastic particles hindered formation of fat deposits in migrating red phalaropes (Phalaropus fuli- carius), adversely affecting long-distance migration and possibly their reproductive.
