are bird droppings good fertilizer

Question: I was wondering if bird droppings can harm plants. Birds love to roost on the trees in the yard, but leave their droppings everywhere.

If the droppings land directly on young, still fragile tissues, yes, they can “burn” them, the damage being caused by the high concentration of minerals in the droppings, but this is generally a very minor effect. Mature leaves and plant parts are usually unharmed in any way.

Aside from this small defect, droppings are normally highly beneficial to plants and are, in fact, a major source of natural fertilizer. They are rich in minerals, especially phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), calcium (C), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg), but also many others. The exact percentage will vary according to the species of bird and its diet.

A case in point, you can usually readily find pelletized chicken manure fertilizer (a mixture of droppings and litter) wherever fertilizers are sold. Yes, you’re actually paying for bird crap! Also, bird guano (accumulated droppings of seabirds) was for a long time the most widely used fertilizer in agriculture and is still available to this day.

The white coloration of bird droppings comes from uric acid (C5H4N4O3). This compound sometimes sticks to objects (cars, walls, roofs, lawn furniture, clothes on the clothesline, etc.) where, once it has dried, it may be difficult to remove. Mostly, though, it’s quickly washed into the soil by rain.

If in general, droppings are distributed in a random enough way so that their concentration causes few problems, there are exceptions.

In places where there are a large number of birds in a small space, such as in trees where seabirds or wading birds (cormorants and herons, in particular) form nesting colonies, coming back year after year to raise their young and poop, the accumulation of droppings eventually leads to a severe concentration of minerals and ends up killing most or all of the vegetation below. It eventually even kills the trees that support the nests.

Droppings also contain microbes (bacteria, microscopic fungi, viruses, etc.) and even parasites. There is no risk to plants (in fact, passing through a bird’s gut actually sterilizes the outside of seeds, killing the pathogens they originally bore), but there can be to gardeners, plus pets, not to mention other birds. Generally, any risk of infection decreases quickly, because bird poop microbes rarely survive long after they are ejected from their bird host, but where droppings build up, some undesirable microbes survive while others can move in. If you have to collect bird droppings (from a chicken coop, a bird cage, a pigeon-infested ledge, etc.), it’s better to wear a mask and gloves.

Otherwise, bird droppings are pretty innocuous, although you’ll certainly want to wash them off, then clean your hands, when any land on you. Of course, being splattered with bird feces is supposed to bring good luck! So when it happens, maybe you should get out and back that lotto ticket!

Also, droppings often contain viable seeds. In fact, some seeds won’t germinate readily until they have passed through a bird’s digestive system, as this frees them from germination inhibitors. Thus, birds play a very important role in the distribution of plants in the wild. However, sometimes the plants thus distributed turn out to be weeds, so some monitoring is necessary.

Under a bird feeder, you often notice the original plants dying back, but this is generally more related to the accumulation of seed hulls, some of which, like those of sunflowers, are allelopathic (toxic to other plants) than to the presence of droppings. Regular cleaning can help alleviate this problem. Or install a seed catcher under the feeder.

If you have an abundant source of bird droppings (if you keep cage birds or have a chicken coop, for example), ideally you shouldn’t apply them directly to garden plants, as they’re probably too concentrated and could damage plant tissues. Instead, add the nitrogen-rich manure to your backyard composter, mixing them with carbon-rich brown materials. Not only does this dilute the minerals, but the droppings help the brown materials decompose more rapidly. And you end up with a particularly rich compost. Again, gloves and a mask should be worn whenever you directly handle bird droppings.

How to Compost Bird Droppings

You undoubtedly use bedding of some kind if you rear hens, pigeons, pheasants, or any other kind of bird. This bedding could be made of sawdust, dry leaves, straw, or another similar substance. Similarly, the bottom of the cage for indoor pet birds like parakeets and parrots is usually lined with newspaper.

When you’re ready to compost bird droppings, gather the droppings and the bedding, add everything to your compost bin, and stir everything together. Newspaper is included in this, though you might want to shred it into smaller pieces. Don’t worry about bird seed; it is compostable, too.

Since most bird manure is high in nitrogen, it should be added at a ratio of roughly one part bird droppings to four or five parts brown materials (including the bedding), along with sawdust, straw, or other “brown” matter.

For example, wherever fertilizers are sold, you can usually easily find pelletized chicken manure fertilizer, which is a mixture of droppings and litter. It’s true that you are paying for bird poop! Additionally, bird guano, which is the collected droppings of seabirds, used to be the most commonly used fertilizer in agriculture and is still available.

It is best to avoid applying bird droppings directly to garden plants if you have a plentiful supply of them (for example, if you keep caged birds or have a chicken coop). This is because the droppings are likely too concentrated and could harm plant tissues. Rather, combine the nitrogen-rich manure with carbon-rich brown materials in your backyard composter. This dilutes the minerals and speeds up the breakdown of the brown materials because of the droppings. And you end up with a particularly rich compost. Again, if you come into direct contact with bird droppings, you should wear gloves and a mask.

You frequently see the original plants under a bird feeder dying back, but this is usually due less to the presence of droppings and more to the buildup of seed hulls, some of which, like those of sunflowers, are allelopathic (toxic to other plants). Regular cleaning can help alleviate this problem. Or install a seed catcher under the feeder.

In areas with dense bird populations, like in trees where seabirds or wading birds (herons and cormorants, in particular) establish nesting colonies and return year after year to raise their young and deposit droppings, the buildup of droppings eventually causes a severe concentration of minerals, which ultimately kills most or all of the vegetation below. It eventually even kills the trees that support the nests.

Droppings also contain microbes (bacteria, microscopic fungi, viruses, etc. ) and even parasites. Plants are not at risk (in fact, seeds that have passed through a bird’s stomach are actually sterilized, eliminating the pathogens they originally carried), but gardeners, pets, and other birds may be. Since bird poop microbes rarely survive long after they are expelled from their bird host, the risk of infection usually diminishes quickly. However, in areas where droppings accumulate, some undesirable microbes may survive while others may be able to move in. If you must gather bird droppings, whether they come from a pigeon-infested ledge, a chicken coop, or a bird cage, ), it’s better to wear a mask and gloves.

How are Bird Droppings Beneficial to Plants?

In short, bird droppings make great fertilizer. Many gardeners use bird droppings as rotted chicken manure, which boosts the soil’s nutrient content and ability to hold water.

But you can’t expect it to perform miracles by simply spreading a lot of bird droppings on the ground. In actuality, a garden full of bird droppings may harbor dangerous pathogens. Fresh bird droppings can burn delicate stems and roots because they are “hot.”

Composting bird droppings before adding them to the soil is the simplest and safest way to benefit from bird poop.

FAQ

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