McFlurry lid caught round Newquay jackdaw's neck for weeks

Newquay Zoo spokesman Phil Knowling said the piece of plastic was 'definitely a McFlurry lid'

A jackdaw has been spotted in Cornwall with a McDonald's McFlurry lid caught round its neck.

Staff at Newquay Zoo said they had been unable to catch the bird, which has been seen several times over a number of weeks.

They said they were concerned about its health, although it does seem to be able to eat, drink and fly.

A spokeswoman for McDonald's said the company was "disappointed to see the impact of littering in this case".

Newquay Zoo spokesman Phil Knowling said keepers were monitoring the jackdaw.

'Sad sign'

"This is a member of a fascinating and intelligent bird species with a complex social structure - and here it is, caught up in a piece of waste discarded by humans," he said.

"You have to assume that the item was thrown away irresponsibly. It's a sad sign of our polluted times."

Mr Knowling said staff still hoped to catch the bird to have the collar removed and to be checked over.

"As a conservation charity we organise beach cleans, talk to guests about issues like pollution and work for native species - but incidents like this remind us we have a lot of work still to do," he said.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said plastic lids would be removed from the ice cream treat from next month and the fast food chain had recently moved to cardboard packaging for salads.

"These are the latest moves in our commitment to source all packaging from renewable or recycled sources by 2025," she said.