When uncooked rice is thrown at weddings is it harmfull to the wild birds?

I am drying flower petals for people to throw as confetti at my daughters wedding. Some people are bringing rice is it true that this swells up in birds and kills them? I can't see how it can as it's ground up in the crop isn't it?

When uncooked rice is thrown at weddings is it harmfull to the wild birds?
No, won't hurt them...they eat it in the wild.


But at the price of rice now...who can afford to.


There must be a better, less expensive, environmentally correct product to use.


Except for the mess, confetti is probably the best. Your flower petal confetti is a great idea.


Now...if we can get more people to do that. After all...it's biodegradeable.
Reply:No, that is an urban legend of sorts. Lots of wild birds eat uncooked rice where it is grown. Sparrows, for instance, are a major pest to rice farmers.


Besides this, the bird's digestive system is such that it can regurgitate anything it eats that turns out to be inedible. Food is swallowed first into the crop, at the front of the neck/breast region. Food is routinely regurgitated to feed the young; and anything indigestible is regurgitated too. I have even seen a bird regurgitate its meal in order to eat something more tasty.


Quite some system they've got: eat it and then decide whether to digest it or not.
Reply:It is against the law now to throw rice at weddings, in some places. This law was brought forth by groups supporting wildlife thinking that the rice was harmful. The rice will not hurt the birds, but many churches and places where weddings are performed do not allow the throwing of rice. Many people throw bird seed instead of rice, or just confetti. Please read my profile
Reply:At one time I flew homing pigeons in races. The last meal that they get before they get taken to the club and put on the truck has rice in it. I feed them all they want of rice and white millet. It has never killed a pigeon. They might suffer from vitamin deficiencies if they only eat rice. There isn't much nutrition in plain uncooked rice. That is an old wives tale about it killing birds. What you have here is an idiotic fallacy started PETA.
Reply:No! birds eat rice all the time in some countries. Maybe the uncooked rice theory is just for the birds in America, since we have so many problems with our food these days. Who knows what the birds are really getting sick from lol.





Maybe we should have had a recall on all the rice before this rumor got started. lol
Reply:No, rice will not kill birds..they eat it in nature sometimes..total urban legend. Not sure why so many people got thumbs down for giving the correct answers. Also one of the other answers is correct about some places not allowing rice to be thrown, bird seed seems to be the way to go.
Reply:NO!!!!! This is totally false information!!!!! Check out this article from Snoops.com.





http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/...
Reply:Someone asked the same question and got a perfect answer here:


http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...
Reply:It's just a myth.
Reply:no, but alka-seltzer is, so don't throw that. Birds eat dried bread and it swells even more than rice and that doesn't harm them either.
Reply:i dont know about wild birds but my parrots love rice cooked or uncooked and they are over 2 years old now and have been eating rice since they were able to eat solid foods.
Reply:don't worry it's just a ritual, n i don't see any point y birds eat n die with ur rice? unless u spraying some poison on em? lol
Reply:Frozen rice certainly is. Don't throw that
Reply:God your pushing the boat out.....have you seen the price of rice.....
Reply:No, it's a myth!
Reply:I think you are being way too caring. Just buy rice and throw it!!
Reply:Myth.
Reply:No.





http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/...
Reply:nio, that is an urban myth.
Reply:no it won't swell in their crop and cause the birds to die


but if their are birds in the area that eat seeds then they may not have evolved to handle "rice".the rice may also have been prossesed or pollished.not the best for small seed eating birds.


If you are concerned the flower petals sounds a much more romantic and nicer idea
Reply:Uncooked rice absorbs liquids, causing it to swell. When birds eat the uncooked rice, it swells in their stomachs, which can kill them.
Reply:they actually sell puffed rice in places like Michaels now because yes, regular uncooked rice can kill the birds. Ask them to bring that instead.
Reply:Dry rice swells to about 4 times it size upon exposure to moisture.





So, yes... it can swell up in a bird and cause 'them major digestive problems...on many occasions ending inthe bird dieing.
Reply:Why do you care that much about wild birds? people are dying in the third world of poverty and hunger, while others spend their time thinking about "wild birds".
Reply:Yes, it makes them explode when they drink water. That's why most people don't do it anymore.
Reply:buy rice-paper confetti, its only like a quid =)
Reply:Yes this is true.
Reply:they will be ok the body can expand 2