We’ve all heard the warning: don’t feed rice to birds or don’t throw rice at weddings because birds will eat it. Fact is, rice cooked or uncooked won’t hurt wild birds at all. The rumor is that uncooked rice hits the bird’s tummy and then swells causing its stomach to explode. It’s simply not true. It’s not hot enough in a bird’s stomach to actually “cook” the rice. So, the rice doesn’t swell and cause any sort of an explosion.
According to Snopes.com, the rumor was perpetuated in a 1996 Ann Landers column. But, no need to worry. Birds eat rice during migration all the time, and they do just fine. While the rumor that eating rice kills birds isn’t true, fact is it’s been so popular that the rumor has pretty much killed the tradition of throwing rice at weddings. It may be for the best. Rice probably isn’t the easiest thing for churches to have to clean. Many people have switched from throwing rice to throwing white millet at weddings. It’s environmentally friendly for the birds, and it’s soft on the happy couple.
Please send us your fact or fiction questions. You can also visit ColesWildBird.com and ask Professor Jay all your burning bird questions. Whether he gives you an accurate answer or not, he claims to know it all, and you’ll have fun listening to him come up with some sort of answer.
Many of our comments are about what you can and can’t feed birds. In general, it is not recommended to feed wild or domestic birds dairy on a regular basis; however, in small amounts, cheese, yogurt, and occasional sips of milk are not considered harmful. Interestingly, like mammals some wild birds do produce a form of “milk” for their young. Below is an interesting article on the subject.
Why don’t birds explode when they eat rice?
Rice swells to many times its original size when cooked. It is the heating process that enables this to happen. The heat causes the rice’s starch to soften, allowing it to absorb water more quickly and swell. Rice will soften slightly after soaking in cold water, but it will take a very long time for its volume to increase noticeably.
The misunderstanding surrounding exploding birds most likely resulted from people assuming that what was happening in their saucepan would likewise occur inside a bird.
However, birds’ stomachs aren’t hot enough to “cook” the rice and cause it to expand because their body temperatures are only about 40° C, which is much lower than that of boiling water. Uncooked rice will be digested or eliminated long before it has an opportunity to absorb enough water to swell to a size that could be harmful because birds digest food fairly quickly—typically in a matter of hours.
Little grains of rice are notoriously difficult to clean up, so it was very helpful for the rumor to spread among those in charge of cleaning up after weddings. Restricting the use of rice at weddings reduced the possibility of someone slipping and getting hurt badly because rice can also be dangerous when it is scattered on hard surfaces. Instead, guests were encouraged to bring bird seed instead.
We discuss what to feed and what not to feed birds in many of our comments. Although it is generally not advised to regularly feed dairy to wild or domestic birds, cheese, yogurt, and sporadic sips of milk are not thought to be harmful in small amounts. Interestingly, certain wild birds do create a type of “milk” for their young, just like mammals do. Below is an interesting article on the subject.
Everyone has heard the admonition to avoid giving rice to birds or tossing rice during weddings because birds will consume it. The truth is that cooked or raw rice has no negative effects on wild birds. Rumor has it that the bird’s stomach explodes because uncooked rice gets into it and swells. It’s simply not true. The stomach of a bird isn’t hot enough to “cook” the rice. Thus, the rice doesn’t expand and burst into flames.
According to Snopes. com, the story was repeated in an Ann Landers article from 1996. But, no need to worry. During migration, birds regularly consume rice and seem to be fine with it. Although the myth that rice kills birds is untrue, the rumor has become so widespread that it has all but destroyed the custom of throwing rice at weddings. It may be for the best. Cleaning rice is probably not the easiest task for churches. At weddings, a lot of people are now throwing white millet instead of rice. It’s gentle on the happy couple and good for the environment for the birds.
Please send us your fact or fiction questions. You can also visit ColesWildBird.com and ask Professor Jay all your burning bird questions. Whether he gives you an accurate answer or not, he claims to know it all, and you’ll have fun listening to him come up with some sort of answer.
FAQ
What happens if a bird eats rice?
Why can’t you throw rice at weddings?
What happens when eating raw rice?
Can birds eat Rice Krispies?