Have you ever wondered whether can birds eat popcorn? Well, That’s a great question. Read this article to find out the accurate answer
Birds love to eat different kinds of food. Did you know that popcorn serves as a treat for your birds? They would love to feed on popcorn as it is one of their favorite foods. Popcorn is a nutritious food that has low calories and is rich in fiber content. It makes a delightful snack for humans and also for some of your pets, like birds.
Birds can feed on both popped as well as unpopped popcorn. Certain small birds may find the unpopped kernels difficult to digest as they are hard. Hence, the unpopped kernels are not suitable for all birds. The outer hull of the unpopped kernels is hard. Hence it is better to boil the popcorn before feeding them to the birds to make them softer. Both the popped corn and the unpopped corn have the same amount of nutrients present in them. Even though popcorn can be fed to birds, give it in moderation. If they are overfed, they might result in emaciation.
Birds are attracted to the crispy texture of the popcorn. But popcorn must be given to birds only as a treat. Always remember that microwaved popcorn contains salts and fats that create an adverse effect on the health of the birds. So do not feed the microwaved popcorn to the birds. The popcorn that you feed the birds must be without any added flavors. It must be free from butter, cheese, or salt.
Another interesting way to feed your bird’s popcorn is to make popcorn balls. Use the right amount of ingredients while you prepare the popcorn balls. If the ingredients are used excessively, they may result in causing certain health issues in the birds. The preparation of popcorn balls is very simple. Pop the popcorn using a non-stick pan and add some nut butter or honey on top of it. Allow the mixture to cool. Once the mixture is cooled, make them into small balls and hang them in your yard or birdcage. The birds love to feed on such balls.
The benefits of feeding popcorn to the birds
Popcorn is a whole grain that has high fiber content and is low in sugar. Popcorn also contains lots of iron, and it has no digestible carbs; hence it is good nutritious food for both humans and birds. Therefore, most of the bird mixtures have corn kernels in them. Birds love to feed on popcorn when they are given to them as a treat.
The foods that need to be avoided by the birds
Certain foods like rotten seeds, bread, old nectar, pesticides should not be given to the birds as they may harm their health. Feed the birds with a bird’s diet that keeps them healthy. Feeding them food that has a low nutritional value has no benefit for their body. You must certainly avoid foods that contain pesticides because even a small amount of pesticides can be dangerous to the birds as they may result in inbreeding issues. Avoid all different kinds of junk foods like cheese puffs, chips, etc., because these are processed unhealthy snacks with no nutritional value for the birds.
A list of healthy food to feed the birds
- Berries
- Mangoes
- Oranges with seeds
- Tomatoes
- Peas
- Watermelon with seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Pomegranate
- Grapes sliced
These are some good healthy foods that you can share with birds. The list can be added with more fruits and seeds that the birds love to feed on. In conclusion, The diet of the bird contains whole grains, organic veggies, and even certain sprouted seeds. You can find corn in most of the bird food mixes as the corn contains whole grains, iron, antioxidants, fiber, etc., that provide nutritional benefits to the birds.