Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!leah!gmr044
From: gmr044@leah.Albany.Edu (Gregg Recer)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: peanut butter as feeder fare
Message-ID: <2272@leah.Albany.Edu>
Date: 11 Dec 89 20:05:04 GMT
Organization: The University at Albany, Computer Services Center
Lines: 42



In article <1423@uwm.edu> burkett@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Edward W Burkett) writes:

>I was talking to a friend the other day about using peanut butter as 
>a winter bird food.  I have never used it before but I have heard rumors
>that it should not be used because many species of birds lack the digestive
>enzymes necessary to break it down, hence the bird gets "Clogged UP" and
>may die.

>Has anyone ever heard of this?  Is there really scientific evidence to support
>this claim?  Should peanut butter be used as a winter bird food?


I don't actually know of any empirical evidence concerning the
danger/safety of peanut butter as a bird food but, offhand I'd say
that it seems unlikely to be a real danger.  The birds that are likely
to eat peanut butter are most likely things like nuthatches,
chickadees and woodpeckers.  Although these species are predominantly
insectivores they will take a lot of seeds at feeders.  Sunflower
seeds and peanuts are pretty similar in composition (a lot of oil and
protein, not too much carbohydrate).  I would think sunflower seeds,
once mashed up (the technical term is smooshed :*)  ) in the bird's
digestive system would be a lot like ingested peanut butter.  This may
all seem like hand-waving (turns out it _is_ hand-waving) but it seems
sensible to me.  BTW we stick to black-oil sunflower seeds, a
millet-sunflower-peanut heart mix, thistle and Oregon suet blocks at
our feeders so I have no direct experience with peanut butter.


Gregg



*******************************************************************************

     "In future you should delete the words crunchy frog and 
     replace them with the legend crunchy raw unboned real
     dead frog!!"  
                 -- Inspector Bradshaw, The Hygiene Division

*******************************************************************************