You may have heard that feeding birds rice is bad for them and should be avoided. Learn if this is true or just an old wives' tale.
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Can Birds Safely Eat Rice?
Maybe you’ve heard this one before: It’s dangerous to throw uncooked rice at a wedding, because birds will eat the rice off the ground and die from their supposed inability to digest the grains. It’s a little unclear exactly how this bird feeding myth got started, but it’s been taken seriously enough that in 1985, there was legislation introduced in Connecticut called “An Act Prohibiting the Use of Uncooked Rice at Nuptial Affairs.”
The good news is that this one really is just a myth. Alyssa Baumann, wildlife rehabilitator and medical coordinator at the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, says, “People have previously believed that feeding rice to birds was harmful because the rice would hypothetically swell to a dangerous point while the rice expanded in the digestive tract. However, this is not the case. Birds’ digestive systems are able to break down the rice long before it gets to that point.”
It’s still recommended to avoid throwing rice at weddings, though. The reason? It can be harmful to humans! Loose grains of rice on flat pavement can easily lead to guests slipping and injuring themselves.
What can birds eat from the kitchen?
Do Any Wild Bird Species Eat Rice?
In fact, there are plenty of bird species that eat rice as a regular part of their diet. Bobolinks in particular are known for their voracious appetites for wild rice during migration and winter where you’ll often spot them foraging in rice fields. Red-winged blackbirds, grackles, sparrows and blue jays are also big rice fans.
But although birds can safely eat rice, barley, and other wild grains, rice isn’t necessarily a major draw at backyard feeders. You’ll likely have more luck attracting a wider range of bird species to your backyard with more typical offerings like black oil sunflower seeds, millet, safflower seeds, nyjer or thistle seeds, peanuts, and suet.
Another thing to consider is that rice may also attract rodents and other pests.
DID YOU KNOW? The scientific name of the bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, means “rice-eating long-claw.”
Does Rice Provide Any Nutritional Value to Birds?
Rice is a diet staple for plenty of birds, especially waterfowl, and it does offer some nutritional benefit. “Rice provides carbohydrates to birds, which helps supply them with energy, but it doesn’t have essential nutrients like minerals and vitamins that birds need,” Alyssa says. She notes that like with most things in life, moderation is key.
“It’s important that birds have a well-balanced diet with a variety of different foods. It’s also good to know what types of birds are in your area, so that you’re offering the correct foods for them,” she says.
Can ducks eat bread? Find out what foods you can feed to ducks.
Is Some Rice Better Than Others to Feed Birds?
Although birds aren’t in any danger of exploding from eating raw rice, Alyssa notes that it can be difficult for some bird species to fully digest raw rice compared to when it’s cooked first. “Only a select number of species, like sparrows and doves, are able to effectively digest raw rice,” she says. However, birds may not always recognize cooked rice as something to eat, given its unfamiliarity in the wild.
“When given the option, wild rice is better to feed birds because it offers more nutrition than white rice, which loses the outer layers of the grain during the milling process,” Alyssa adds.
Discover foods you should never feed to birds.
Could Arsenic or Other Heavy Metals in Rice Harm Birds?
Just like with humans, pollutants in food supplies can affect the health of wild birds. There have been some studies that show heavy metals in rice fields negatively impact waterfowl species, such as decreasing their hatching and breeding success rates. Pesticides used on rice farms have also reduced the bobolink population, which rely on rice during migration and are commonly viewed as a pest by farmers.
Similar to other food contaminants like pesticides and metals, if you are planning to offer rice to backyard birds, it’s best practice not to add any salt or other seasoning to the rice. Additives like salt can really harm birds.
READ ON: Is it OK to add bacon fat to bird suet?
About the Expert
Alyssa Baumann serves as a wildlife rehabilitator and medical coordinator at the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sources
- Snopes.com – “Is Throwing Rice at Weddings Bad for Birds?
- “The Backyard Bird Feeder’s Bible,” by Sally Roth
- All About Birds – “Bobolink”
- All About Birds – “I’m getting married. Is it true that rice causes birds’ stomachs to explode?”
- National Audubon Society – “Who Likes What: The Favorite Birdseed of Feeder Regulars and Rarities”
- National Library of Medicine – “Impaired Reproductive Performance of Waterbirds in Metal-Contaminated Tropical Rice Agroecosystems: Evidence from Little Egrets”
- The Wildlife Society – “Bobolinks reliance on rice raises new concerns”
- Vermont Center for Ecostudies – “Bobolinks reliance on rice raises new concerns”
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – “Helping wildlife while avoiding common pitfalls”
