Wedding Bird Feeding: Rice, Danger, And Explosion

Throwing rice at weddings has been a tradition for thousands of years, possibly dating back to the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians. The rice is said to symbolise a good crop, rain, prosperity, fertility, and good fortune. However, a popular belief is that throwing rice at weddings can be harmful to birds as the rice grains can expand in their stomachs, causing them to violently burst. This belief gained traction in the 1980s when a Connecticut state legislator introduced a bill to outlaw the practice, and an advice columnist, Ann Landers, repeated the claim in her column. Despite this, there is no evidence that rice poses any danger to birds, and ornithologists have refuted the claim. Birds regularly eat uncooked rice in nature without suffering any ill effects, and the conditions in their stomachs are not suitable for rice expansion.

The myth that rice makes birds explode was popularised by Ann Landers in 1988

Throwing rice at weddings has been a tradition for thousands of years, perhaps dating as far back as ancient Assyrian and Egyptian times. The rice is meant to symbolise a good crop, bringing luck, fertility, and abundance to the newlyweds. However, in the 1980s, a new belief emerged that throwing rice at weddings was harmful to birds. This myth was popularised by Ann Landers in 1988, when she published a letter from a bride-to-be concerned about the well-being of birds.

Ann Landers was the pen name of advice columnist Eppie Lederer, whose column "Ask Ann Landers" was syndicated in many North American newspapers for 56 years. In her column, Lederer often included advice from experts, something none of her competitors did. In 1988, she published a letter from a bride-to-be who was worried about the effects of rice on birds. The bride wrote:

> "I am getting married in September and I'd like to have birdseed thrown instead of rice. Hard, dry rice is harmful to birds. According to ecologists, it absorbs the moisture in their stomachs and kills them."

Lander's response advised the bride to spread the message among her wedding party and guests, but also acknowledged that including this information on the invitation would be "in poor taste". She also noted that a Connecticut legislator had recently proposed a ban on rice-throwing at weddings, a reference to a 1985 bill introduced by Connecticut state representative Mae Schmidle.

Lander's column was soon rebuked by ornithologists, who pointed out that there was no truth to the belief that rice could harm birds. In a letter published by Landers, Cornell ornithologist Steven C. Sibley wrote:

> "Rice is not a threat to birds. It must be boiled before it will expand. Furthermore, all the food that birds swallow is ground up by powerful muscles and grit in their gizzards."

Despite the corrections, the myth persisted, and in 2002, University of Kentucky biology professor James Krupa decided to test the theory with his students. They found that while instant rice did expand considerably when soaked, it was not the type of rice typically thrown at weddings. They also conducted experiments on real birds, feeding 60 doves and pigeons a diet of instant rice and water for 12 hours. The birds showed no signs of distress or discomfort, and none of them exploded.

While the rice-bird myth has been thoroughly debunked, throwing rice at weddings can pose a slipping hazard for guests, and some venues have banned the practice for this reason.

The Connecticut state legislature discussed a bill to outlaw rice-throwing at weddings in 1985

In 1985, the Connecticut state legislature discussed a bill to outlaw rice-throwing at weddings. The bill, titled "An Act Prohibiting the Use of Uncooked Rice at Nuptial Affairs", was introduced by Representative Mae S. Schmidle. The proposed legislation aimed to prohibit individuals from "throwing, flinging, casting, or hurling" uncooked rice during wedding celebrations. The bill included a fine of $50 for anyone caught throwing rice at a wedding.

Representative Schmidle's concern was that uncooked rice, when ingested by birds, would expand in their stomachs and cause violent death. She claimed that the rice, when left uneaten after a wedding, would be consumed by birds, leading to their demise. She also stated that she had heard from ministers who had witnessed dead birds outside churches the morning after weddings.

However, ornithologists and bird experts disputed these claims. Roland C. Clement, a past president of the Connecticut Audubon Society, questioned the validity of the idea, stating that he had never heard of such an occurrence during his 50 years of professional experience as an ornithologist. Karl Wagener, a former official with the Connecticut Audubon Society, also expressed skepticism, noting that he had never come across any literature suggesting that rice posed a danger to birds.

The bill sparked a broader discussion about the potential harm of rice-throwing to birds. Advice columnist Ann Landers repeated the claim that rice was harmful to birds, drawing criticism from ornithologists. Landers later printed a retraction from Cornell ornithologist Steven Sibley, who stated that rice posed no threat to birds as it needed to be boiled to expand, and that all food consumed by birds is ground up by their powerful muscles and gizzards.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting the claim that rice causes birds to explode, the myth persisted and led to changes in wedding traditions. Many brides opted for alternatives, such as birdseed or rose petals, out of concern for the well-being of birds.

The rice grains would need to be boiled to expand and pose a threat to birds

The idea that rice thrown at weddings can cause birds to explode is a long-standing myth that gained popularity in the 1980s. This misconception is based on the belief that uncooked rice will expand in a bird's stomach, causing it to burst. However, this myth has been scientifically debunked, and it is important to understand why rice does not pose a threat to birds.

Firstly, it is crucial to recognize that rice must be boiled to achieve significant expansion. Bird body temperatures typically range from 100.4 to 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which is well below the boiling point of water. Therefore, a bird's stomach does not reach the temperatures required to cook rice and cause it to expand substantially.

Additionally, even if birds were to consume boiled rice, their digestive systems are flexible and resilient enough to accommodate expanded food. Their stomach acid and digestive enzymes quickly break down the rice, ensuring safe digestion. The fast digestion of birds further contributes to the safe passage of rice through their system.

Moreover, when uncooked rice is consumed by birds, it is broken down by their crops and gizzards into smaller pieces. This process prevents the rice from causing any obstruction or harm as it expands slightly due to the absorption of moisture. The expansion of uncooked rice is relatively minimal compared to other foods, such as birdseed, which birds consume regularly without issue.

In conclusion, the belief that wedding rice makes birds explode is unfounded. Rice grains would need to be boiled to expand significantly, and even if they did, the flexible digestive systems of birds can accommodate expanded food. Additionally, the natural digestive processes of birds ensure the safe breakdown and passage of rice, whether cooked or uncooked, without causing any harm.

Birds' digestive systems break down rice grains before they can expand and cause harm

The idea that birds will explode if they eat rice thrown at weddings is a pervasive urban legend. It is based on the assumption that rice grains will expand in a bird's stomach, causing it to violently rupture. However, this claim has been thoroughly debunked by ornithologists and biologists, who have confirmed that rice poses no danger to birds.

The digestive system of birds is designed to break down food efficiently. Even if a bird were to consume uncooked rice, its powerful muscles and grit in its gizzard would quickly grind up the grains, preventing any potential expansion. Birds regularly ingest a variety of seeds and grains without issue, and their digestive processes are well-equipped to handle rice.

Furthermore, the notion that rice will absorb moisture and swell inside a bird's stomach is flawed. While rice does absorb moisture during cooking, it requires boiling temperatures and a significant amount of time to expand. The interior of a bird's stomach is not nearly hot enough to cook the rice, and any uncooked rice ingested would be digested or excreted long before it could absorb enough moisture to pose a threat.

To put the myth to rest, James Krupa, a biology professor at the University of Kentucky, conducted experiments with his students in 2002. They tested different types of grains, including instant rice, and measured their expansion rates. They found that while instant rice expanded considerably when soaked, it was not the type of rice typically thrown at weddings. Additionally, they fed instant rice to flocks of doves and pigeons and monitored them for any adverse effects. The birds showed no signs of discomfort, distress, or injury, debunking the idea that rice causes birds to explode.

In conclusion, the digestive systems of birds are capable of breaking down rice grains efficiently, and the fear of birds exploding due to consuming wedding rice is unfounded. Birds have no problem digesting rice, and there is no scientific evidence to support the urban legend.

Experiments have proven that rice does not harm birds

First, they tested how much different seeds and grains of rice expand when water is added. They found that jasmine rice expanded by about 33%, while seeds that birds typically eat expanded by around 40% on average. Testing other varieties of rice, they found that none expanded more than birdseed, though instant rice expanded the most, with instant brown rice expanding by 170%.

Next, they built model bird crops from thin plastic and wet paper bags and filled them with various grains and water. None of the plastic crops exploded, but a paper bag filled with instant white rice expanded and ruptured in about 15 minutes.

Finally, Krupa fed 60 of his pet pigeons and doves nothing but instant rice and water for 12 hours, monitoring them for signs of distress or discomfort. No birds choked, exploded, regurgitated, or showed any sign of distress.

Krupa's experiments are not the only evidence that rice does not harm birds. Wild birds eat uncooked rice all the time with no ill effects. Many types of waterfowl, shorebirds, and migratory birds depend on flooded rice fields to maintain fat in the winter. A bird called the bobolink eats enough rice that it's considered a pest by farmers and has earned the nickname "ricebird."

The idea that rice causes birds to explode is biologically implausible. For rice to cook and swell, it must be boiled in water at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). A bird's internal temperature fluctuates around 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit), which is not hot enough to cook rice. Birds also have high metabolisms, so the food they eat is digested quickly and does not stay in their stomachs long enough to swell. Additionally, birds have strong crop muscles and gizzards that grind up the food they swallow, and small birds have beaks adapted to break down rice grains into small pieces.

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