Wildlife Experts Urge People to Stop Feeding Bread to Birds — It Causes More Harm Than Good

Anytime we intend to feed birds and animals, bread crumbs are always within our reach. But, easy is never fruitful. Even though widely opted for, bread is not the ideal bird feed and could potentially impair their digestive systems and health. Putting out pieces of bread or flinging them in the water for birds to eat is more of a bane than a boon. While it does eliminate hunger, the food does not hold any nutritional value compared to the natural, whole options that birds would greatly benefit from. Experts have shed light on the many ways bread may prove disadvantageous to the health of our feathered visitors, per IdealHome. 

James Ewens, a gardening and wildlife expert at Green Feathers, shared that good quality bread, which is also mold-resistant, is still not recommended. “Dry, large chunks of bread can be a choking hazard for birds, even when you think you’ve broken up the bread into small enough pieces. Bread can also swell in the stomachs of birds, becoming not only uncomfortable, but harmful,” the expert said. Meanwhile, feeding birds moldy bread can result in a serious lung infection called aspergillosis. 

This is generally because bread is highly processed, and the simple metabolism in birds cannot digest bread efficiently. It is recommended that bird feed should closely resemble their natural diets and environment to ensure their well-being and good health. It is better if homeowners and bird enthusiasts could grow “natural foods” and plants that birds feed on in their yard or garden, allowing them to forage and reap valuable nutrients. This method was suggested by Sue Morgan of SongBird Survival.

Food products like cereals and bread contain added sugar and salt in unhealthy amounts for birds. The excessive sugar and salt intake could hinder their metabolism, resulting in poor health. Ewens advised opting for natural bird seed, mealworms, and plants the birds prefer to forage on. Bird seed blends are readily available but may contain fillers, which are not beneficial for birds. “Mixed seed blends are a great option for a diverse range of birds. So long as your mixed seeds and grains are free from fillers like flax, rapeseed, or dried beans, your birds should happily benefit from them,” Ewens added.

Additionally, suet is a great food option, especially to help the birds survive harsh winters when food is scarce. Suet is primarily made of hard fat in cows and sheep kidneys. It is purified and processed, and cooled down to obtain the remaining fat, per The Spruce Eats. “It’s a dense, concentrated energy source for birds, it’s high in protein, and it’s easy for birds to eat and digest,” the expert noted. The nutrition derived from suet helps birds maintain their bright coats, facilitates feather growth, and works as stored food during winter. 

However, it is worth noting that the occasional bread would not harm birds gravely, but it is not encouraged. As advised for humans, too, bread is high in carbohydrates and empty calories, which fill up birds quickly but fail to serve their healthy diets, per PetMD. Among other food options that are a big ‘NO’ for birds include chocolate, salt, caffeine, onions, and garlic, per ZuPreem.