Category Archives: bird myths

The imagery is undeniably cute and inspiring. Hummingbirds resting on the backs of large geese as they soar high through the sky en route to warmer temperatures, one species helping out another. Even though this would be something I would love to see in real life, it’s simply not true. Occasionally, I tackle some of [...]

According to one community in Nevada, birds aren’t just a terrible nuisance, they’re also a health risk to humans. The Wingsfield Springs Community Association, a place in which birds have always been important to its identity, has put a ban on feeding birds and allowing them to nest in yards because they say it will [...]

There are actually two separate myths surrounding bird feeder perches. The first is that a bird will get stuck to a perch if it’s freezing outside and the second is hummingbirds die at feeders because their body doesn’t produce enough warmth while sitting to drink cold nectar in the morning. The first myth is absolutely [...]

Unlike some of the other myths I’ve covered, this myth has been prevalent for decades and probably arose from parents not wanting their children to touch any baby birds they find on the ground. Despite the widespread belief that touching a bird will leave a human scent on it and therefore make other birds reject [...]

We’ve all heard the old story. A bird eats rice thrown at a wedding, the rice expands in its stomach and the bird explodes. This legend, along with the variations involving Alka-Selzter and Tylenol, is simply untrue. The fact is that birds regularly eat grains like rice for nutrition. Wheat, milo, rice, millet and barley [...]

A popular pasttime involves taking a few slices of bread to the park and tossing crumbs to the birds. While birds might seem to go wild over the bits, bread may actually be harmful to them. Here are some things you should be aware of before heading to the park with a loaf of bread. [...]