Video: Is throwing rice at weddings bad for birds?

Is throwing rice at weddings bad for birds? (video)
Credit: The American Chemical Society

Many people believe that throwing rice at weddings is harmful to wild birds. Supposedly, the rice expands in the birds' digestive systems and injures them.

This myth has become widespread after appearing in places as varied as an "Ann Landers" column and an episode of "The Simpsons."

In this video, Reactions uses some hands-on chemistry to demonstrate that is no more harmful than other grains and that this misconception is for the birds:

Citation: Video: Is throwing rice at weddings bad for birds? (2018, November 8) retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2018-11-video-rice-bad-birds.html
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