Microplastic exposure and body condition in white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) nestlings across anthropogenic landscapes in Scotland and Spain

In this study we quantified microplastic concentrations in faecal samples of white-throated dipper nestlings (Cinclus cinclus) sampled across gradients of anthropogenic land use in Scotland and northern Spain. We examined relationships between land-use composition, microplastic exposure and nestling body condition (SMI). Analyses were conducted using mixed-effects models to account for the hierarchical structure of the data (nestlings nested within nests, sites and catchments) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to summarise correlated land-use variables.