Can Birds Eat Rice Cakes?

Many people believe that birds can’t eat rice, so it’s easy to assume that birds can’t eat rice cakes either.

The truth is neither of those myths is true.

Birds can eat both rice and rice cakes.

In fact, rice cakes can be a great snack option for hungry birds.

In this artilce we’re going to talk about the following

  •  Are rice cakes ok for birds?
  • Is rice harmful to birds?
  • Can birds eat rice krispie cereal?
  • What should you not feed birds?

Sound interesting?

Great!

Let’s get started!

Are Rice Cakes OK For Birds? (Benefits Of Rice Cakes) 

Can Birds Eat Rice Cakes?

Rice cakes are a staple in many pantries, so it might cause you to wonder whether birds can eat them as well.

There’s a longstanding rumor that birds can’t eat rice, so does this extend to rice cakes too?

In reality, the fact that birds can’t eat rice is just an urban myth.

Birds can eat them without any issues.

Likewise, birds can eat rice cakes too.

However, it is recommended to feed them unsalted rice cakes as sodium is harmful to birds.

There are many benefits to feeding your bird rice cakes.

Rice cakes are just handy to have as a good and healthy snack.

Introducing rice cakes to your bird can be a fun way to add some variety to your bird’s diet.

It shouldn’t fully replace pellets or seeds as a main source of food, but it’s great to have as a snack every now and then!

Rice cakes are also great to appease your bird in between meals.

If your bird is getting a bit hungry, a rice cake can be a great option to snack on before dinnertime.

This is a particularly good snack as it’s quite healthy.

This snack is also very easy to digest.

It won’t affect your bird’s main diet while keeping your bird’s stomach happy.

Do make sure to add fruit and vegetables to your birds diet too!

Is Rice Harmful To Birds?

Is Rice Harmful To Birds?

Rumors have been flying around for a while that rice is harmful to birds.

According to this myth, if birds consume uncooked rice, it will cook in the bird’s stomach and explode inside, killing the bird.

This myth is so widespread that people have even stopped throwing rice at weddings to avoid unnecessary deaths.

Thankfully, this myth is completely false and birds can eat rice with no issues – cooked or uncooked.

Rice is just another grain and since their diet consists mostly of seeds and grains, for birds, rice is just another food source.

Can Birds Eat Rice Krispie Cereal?

People often feed different types of cereal to birds as they are mostly made of grains.

Rice Krispies is one such cereal that can be fed to birds.

In fact, Rice Krispies cereal is often considered a better kind of cereal to feed birds due to its lower sugar content compared to other brands.

The ideal cereal to feed birds will have a low sugar content and be whole grain.

You should also make sure that the cereal doesn’t include anything unhealthy such as marshmallows or chocolate.

Therefore, Rice Krispies is a safe option to feed birds as a snack.

The crunchiness of the cereal can be quite attractive for birds as well.

What Should You Not Feed Birds?

There’s a huge list of things that you shouldn’t feed birds.

Birds differ greatly from humans, and they can’t eat the variety of foods we can safely eat.

To be on the safe side, it’s best to do some research on whether a particular food is safe to feed a bird before you introduce a new food to your bird.

So what are some things you should not feed your bird?

  • Bread –  This might be a surprising one for most people. After all, it’s a common occurrence to feed wild birds bread. Although this is not necessarily toxic, bread has pretty much no nutritional value and it only serves to make the bird full, preventing the bird from eating proper food.
  • Bacon – This could be a good idea in theory due to the protein available in bacon, but this is actually one of the worst things you can feed a bird. First, bacon is salty and sodium can be very harmful to birds. Second, bacon contains other additives that can be dangerous such as nitrates.
  • Avocado – This food contains persin which can lead to health issues in birds. A few bird species will still be able to eat avocados without these consequences, but it’s best to be safe and not feed birds avocados at all.
  • Milk – Birds are lactose intolerant and their stomachs are not evolved to digest milk. If you feed milk to a bird, it can cause stomach upset and in some cases, death.

Wrapping Up

There are many things you can add to a bird’s diet to add nutrition and variety.

One thing you can easily add as a snack option is rice cake.

Rice cakes shouldn’t fully replace a balanced and healthy meal, but they can be a great midday snack for when your bird is starting to feel a little peckish before dinner.

On the other hand, there are foods that you should definitely avoid feeding your bird such as avocados and milk.

It can be complicated and confusing to figure out what you can or cannot feed your bird.

So be sure to always do your research!

Here’s some related articles about birds which I’m sure you’ll find interesting so do check them out!

Is plywood safe for birds?

Can birds swim?

Is peppermint oil safe for birds?

Is acrylic paint safe for birds?

Why do little birds follow hawks?

Do birds mourn the loss of a baby?

We at birdcageshere.com write about bird health and diet however it should not be taken as medical advice. For advice on your bird you need to seek out an avian vet. The information you find on birdcageshere.com is for educational purposes only. At birdcageshere.com we are not liable for any information that you may find on here. Birdcageshere is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice about your bird.