Thousands of birds die from poor nutrition and this practice, which may seem a harmless gesture of love in reality, contributes substantially to their death.
How many times have we given ducks, geese and swans white plains in the park's lakes? However, it happens that thousands of birds die from poor nutrition and this practice, which may seem a harmless gesture of love in reality, contributes substantially to their death.
Why does white bread kill birds? You too may have seen geese, ducks, swans and other waterfowl with the so-called 'angel wing', i.e. a deformation of the wings mainly due to dietary imbalances such as excess protein, deficiency of vitamins (D, E) and mineral salts. (manganese) which lead to a delayed development of the cartilages of the wings.
According to experts, this deformation it cannot be cured, but only prevented with a correct diet from birth. The sufferers are mainly ducks, geese and birds reared by humans or in those that live in urbanized areas. The reason is simple: their diet is often made up of white bread or pasta and therefore of excess of carbohydrates and sugars.
This deformation causes the last joint in one or both wings to bend unnaturally outward rather than lying flat along the body.
And why does all this lead them to death? It is not a matter of deformation per se, but due to theala d'angelo birds are unable to fly, they cannot escape from any predators and, trivially, they cannot shelter from the elements. For adult birds, this condition is almost always a death sentence: they are hit by cars, killed by predators, die from nutritional deficiencies or from extreme weather conditions.
As we said, birds that develop this deformation feed on white bread and other unhealthy foods that can develop conditions that prevent their bones from forming normally.
According to the Cape Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Barnstable, if treated patients are very young the condition can sometimes be minimized by immobilizing and repositioning the affected wing, while putting them on a proper diet for optimal growth. . However, full recovery is not guaranteed.
What can you do
The main thing that each of us can do is avoid feeding white bread, popcorn, bird crackers, on the contrary we can give them barley, wheat, oats but also cabbage, chard, lettuce and cereals in general.
Same rule for little birds
If you find one, never administer it under any circumstances (for both young and adult birds) pieces or crumbs of bread, milk or milk derivatives. As Lipu explains in general, foods must be natural, unsalted, not spicy and also free of chemical additives. Bread is therefore not indicated, because it does not provide the necessary fats but only gives a feeling of swelling.
Read also:
- Little bird fallen from the nest, what to do?
- What to do if we find a little bird in trouble?
