The other evening a reader called with a most interesting story. Robert noticed a chipping sparrow under his feeder that was extremely lethargic and attempting to eat but couldn’t seem to deal with the seeds. He went out and was able to walk right up to the little guy and pick it up so the bird was obviously on its last legs.

He brought it inside and put some bird seed in front of it (note – it is illegal to take any wild animal into captivity but hopefully the DNR won’t consider this crime overly heinous). Amazingly, Chippy tried to eat but still couldn’t get it in.

Closer examination revealed a gob of something gooey plugging the bird’s mouth. Robert had heard that peanut butter could do this so assumed that’s what the substance was. He put down some water.  The bird went right to it and after much guzzling and swishing was able to clear it out.  It then attacked the seed with gusto. Chippy soon recovered and was sent on his way. Robert suggested I address this in the column as many people put out peanut butter for the birds. Great idea, but it turns out not to be the clear cut issue it first seems.

The bird choking on peanut butter debate has been around for a long time. Many bird species love peanut butter and it’s a very popular offering. In fact, many commercial bird food manufacturers employ it in some fashion in their products, often mixed with suet, nuts, seeds or other delectables. Most bird organizations recommend it and provide plans on how to make peanut butter feeders.

Interestingly, there is no official evidence either proving or disproving that birds can choke on peanut butter. Both the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, two of the world’s foremost bird authorities, say there is no negative evidence and suggest that if you’re concerned about it simply add some corn meal or grit to make it less sticky. While most experts take a similar stance, some aren’t so sure, pointing out that birds have minimal saliva and their tongues are not muscular and articulate like animals and humans. Therefore, there may be potential for peanut butter to get hung up. Of course, we don’t know for sure if it was peanut butter causing Chippy’s problem. but if it was,  that’s strong support for the anti-peanut butter camp. If you must offer peanut butter, spread it out in small amounts, use it only during cold weather and mix in other things as previously mentioned to decrease stickiness.

Despite our good intentions, some of the stuff we put out for birds can be harmful and even deadly. The most common fatal error we make is putting out moldy food. The various bird seeds and grains we buy naturally contain more mold spores than any other pet food. We buy a humongous bag of seed which sits around for months soaking up humidity.  Mold, which may or may not be visible, takes over and can be fatal to birds. Bread, crackers and other human leftovers we commonly pitch out also quickly mold. Bird seed that has been accessible to mice is another problem. Mice droppings contain salmonella which can permeate the seed and kill birds. Many folks put out crushed egg shells for birds. These, too, can be contaminated with salmonella so should be boiled for 10 minutes to sterilize them.

Things we find acceptable in people food can be very detrimental to birds. They cannot tolerate excess salt and preservatives and there’s a reason the grocery store aisle with chips, popcorn, crackers and so forth is labeled the salty snack aisle. Nearly all processed meats are loaded with salt and preservatives.  According to Oregon State University, raw peanuts are highly toxic to birds. Chocolate, can also be fatal. High fiber foods like bread make birds feel satiated but provide few essential nutrients, causing poor health.

The bottom line is nearly all people foods do more harm than good. Stick to real bird food, buy in quantities that will be used up in a few weeks and from sources that have reasonable product turnover and store in rodent proof containers.

Carpe diem.