Auke-Florian Hiemstra, a doctoral student at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, studies how birds, particularly coots, utilize human materials in their nests. His research, which includes collecting abandoned nests, uncovered items like drug paraphernalia and candy wrappers. A significant find was a Mars bar wrapper from the 1994 World Cup, leading Hiemstra to realize that deeper layers of nests contain older materials. His work documents 635 artificial items, providing a view into the intertwined history of Amsterdam's human and avian populations through these collected artifacts.
Auke-Florian Hiemstra's investigation into coot nests shows how urban wildlife incorporates human debris, revealing a unique layer of interaction between birds and human history.
By examining 635 artificial items found in a coot nest, researchers uncovered a mini-archeological record, allowing insights into Amsterdam's avian and human interactions.
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