Throwing Rice at Weddings - Can it Hurt Birds?
June 22, 2007 – 10:06 am | by gaulardcom
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On my drive in to work today, I heard a story on NPR’s “Nature Watch” segment about the myth of harm to birds by throwing rice at weddings.
I’m sure you have all heard of people changing their ways to protect the birds. It has long been said that by throwing rice at the bride and groom after a wedding can harm a bird. People say that when the bird eats the rice, the rice expands inside the bird’s stomach, causing the bird to actually explode. I always believed this and have thrown bird seed at weddings instead.
Well, Nature Watch told me this morning that the whole rice story is really a myth. They said that birds eat rice all the time in the wild and it has no harmful effects on them.
So this left me thinking…the next time I see a bird explode over my head while in flight, what the heck caused it?
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Tags: Animals, NPR, weddings, Wildlife
3 Responses to “Throwing Rice at Weddings - Can it Hurt Birds?”
By Jess Sightler on Jun 22, 2007 | Reply
Nice find! I had always wondered if this was actually true or not.
I wonder what started the whole rumour?
By wedding portrait painting on Jun 28, 2007 | Reply
How can rice grow in size inside the stomach of the bird? Why is it that when humans eat rice they don’t explode and the eaten rice doesn’t grow? Actually, I’ve never seen an exploding friend.
By gaulardcom on Jun 28, 2007 | Reply
I think it’s because we cook the rice before we eat it. Our rice has already absorbed the water, so it’s almost at its maximum size. I think people must’ve thought that since these birds are eating uncooked rice, it would absorb any liquid in their stomachs and explode. Who knows…