are sparrows capable of eating peanuts? (1 Viewer)

[RueBehavior]

Lol this might be a dumb question, but I was wondering, are sparrows capable of eating shelled peanuts (roasted of course, unsalted)? I just figured it would be hard for them to eat them as they are so big of course..... are they good at pecking them apart so they can swallow them? I am going to get some for my neighbor pigeons and was wanting to give some to the sparrows I run into too, so that is why I am asking.

Also are lentils and split green peas too big for sparrows to swallow?

 

[Corvus cornix]

Hi,

I would guess that sparrows could cope with shelled peanuts, They have strong bills, so they should be able to break them up into small enough pieces.

Feeding birds dried pulses, rice etc isn't recommended as they can swell up in the bird's crop causing serious problems. If you wish to feed them, make sure they are thoroughly soaked first, so they're soft and much more easily broken up and digestible. As they're seed-eaters by nature, they'll be more than happy with corn or other grains which would be closer to their natural diet.

Cheers.

 

[RueBehavior]

Okay, thank you. what do you mean by dried pulses? Or was that an autocorrect mistake?

I wont give them dried rice unless soaked. Does this go for pigeons too?

Dried lentils and dried peas wouldn't be okay? Or is it not okay for sparrows but ok for pigeons?

What about flaxseeds, walnuts, oatmeal and cheerios for both sparrows and pigeons?

Thank you!!!

 

[Corvus cornix]

Pulses are things like lentils, chick peas etc. Dried lentils are a definite no for pigeons, I wouldn't recommend them for sparrows, just to be on the safe side. Any natural foods such as flax seeds, walnuts etc should be OK, I'd probably crush the walnuts first to make them more manageable. The birds will eat things like cheerios, but I probably wouldn't recommend them. They won't necessarily do much harm but probably not much benefit, either. I'd try and stick to more natural foods as much as possible, they'll have the correct balance of nutrients, vitamins. minerals etc that the birds need.

All the best!

Cheers.

 

[RueBehavior]

Okay thank you! I had no clue that that meant that.

Is dry oatmeal (rolled oats) okay to give to both birds? Split peas would go with pulses I assume? I have read that people give their pet pigeons dried split peas and usually enjoy them, so I had thought that they were okay to give?
Is dry puffed rice okay? Or would that still harm them if it's dry still?

One last thing, what kind of seeds and grains would you suggest for me to get for making my own mix? (For sparrows and pigeons)
Sorry for all questions.

 

[Corvus cornix]

No problem!

I know people who's pigeons have gorged themselves on dried split peas and they've swelled up in the birds' crops and caused major problems. You could try giving them some in small amounts. If you try things like rolled oats, I'd make sure there's plenty of water available. In the public parks in China, popcorn is sold to the public to feed the pigeons, which goes down very well, but just plain, not salted etc.

You can usually buy grain mixes from pet shops, they usually contain wheat, corn, maize, barley and sunflower seeds. You can always experiment with different mixes of your own. If the birds don't like something, they'll tend to leave it. If you notice this happening, leave that ingredient out net time to reduce waste and unnecessary cost.

Cheers and happy feeding