Feeding bread to birds

[sholay]

In our house we give any left over breadcrusts to the birds. The bread goes almost immediatley as we also have nuts and seeds in feeders for them so they're always in our garden. However, as I was watching a gang of starlings demolish some I'd put out, I started wondering if this was the right thing to be giving them.

I can understand nuts and seeds as these can be found in the wild, but bread cant. Does anyone know if there's been any research on the impact of bread and yeast on bird's digestive systems?

Or am I just thinking too much!?

[plzhelp]

I only know about feeding bread to birds that live in ponds or lakes in public parks and people are discouraged to feed them bread - this may just because it encourages more birds, but I still wouldn't.

[valsuey]

We give our garden birds crusts of bread and have done for years.I have never heard that you shouldn't give them bread.The birds in my garden will eat most stuff.I put cooked potatoes and vegetables if I have any left over out and they love it. Blackbirds really love some fruit cake and so do robins.

[Gowergirl]

Bread should always be soaked in water before being given to birds.It can get stuck in their crops

[alzheimer]

I agree with Gowergirl...you should really soak the bread/crusts first. People put out toast and this MUST be soaked as it swells up in the crop and can kill them I am told. Have a look on the RSPB site..they are very good at advising. I have to say, I too feed my birds with anything and everything and so far I have had no calamities. After Xmas the birds thought it was bonanza time with all the cake and pud. that I put out for them each morning. It all vanished by the end of each day and all the birds were back for more next morning!!

[alzheimer]

PS .... the powers that be don't like us over-feeding the duck and swan etc in the parks and rivers because it encourages the rats and other vermin into the area