Apparently we shouldn't be feeding the birds

by Ellen Slattery, Posted May 14th 2008 @ 1:00PM

You know those tourists who walk around big cities and feed the pigeons? Know how utterly annoying it is if you're trying to enjoy your lunch in the park and huge swarms of birds are invading your personal space?

Now you can tell those tourists to cool it, lest they want to harm their squawky friends. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds claims that bread serves as a "filler" for birds and doesn't leave room for the nutrients they need to thrive, especially when they are trying to feed their chicks.

What should we be feeding them instead? Why, "a healthy mix of seeds or worms, grated cheese, porridge oats or soft apples, bananas or strawberries," of course.

But, wait: so is feeding the birds bread actually harmful? Well, no, the Society admits.

Dude: is chocolate cake good for is? No. Could we be eating more nutrient-rich foods? Of course. Is it okay to indulge once in awhile? Yes.

But just to be clear: I'm not condoning feeding pigeons in crowded public spaces. That's just wrong on so many levels.

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Filed Under: Food News, Ingredients
Tags: birds, bread, crumbs, crust, feed, park, pigeons