Cucumber is a refreshing and delicious food that we humans eat. Many foods that humans eat can be eaten by birds too. So can birds eat cucumber?
Birds do eat cucumber, they like it too. Cucumber is a crip and refreshing meal for birds. This vegetable contains beneficial vitamins and minerals including fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and manganese. When feeding birds cucumber remove the outer skin or wash it thoroughly as this can be coated with pesticides.
Most birds are omnivores, eating a variety of plants, insects, amphibians, fish, and other animals. Birds love variety in their diets.
The next time you pop in the store to pick up a treat for your feathered friend you may want to consider a thing or two.
Beyond feeding them just birdseed, consider throwing in some fruits and vegetables. Birds enjoy fruits and vegetables and this article looks at if birds can eat cucumber.
From penguin huddling together to eagles soaring the skies, there are a wide variety of bird species. Their physiques and different behaviours require specific nutrients from food.
They don’t only eat insects, nuts, and meats, they need fruits and vegetables too.
Table of Contents
Can birds eat cucumber?
Yes, birds do eat cucumber, its good for them too. Many birds eat a diet that contains of a variety of meats, insects, fruits and vegetables. Their bodies have high metabolic rates to support their constant need for high paced movement.
While insects may be in abundance and while meats and seeds are accessible these foods don’t deliver all the nutrients a bird needs on their own. Wild birds regularly eat fruits and vegetables to reinforce their strength, health, and great looks.
Benefits of cucumber:
Cucumber is a highly beneficial fruit to humans and birds as well. Yes, it’s a fruit, not a vegetable. Cucumber is nutrient-rich and contains vitamins, minerals, fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and manganese to name a few.
It is also low in calories making it an energy-rich fruit that won’t make birds pack on the pounds. Human benefit from the age defying properties of cucumber. It also contains antioxidants, improves hydration, helps with weight management, lowers blood sugar levels and smoothes bowel movements.
Birds also benefit from having cucumbers in their diets. Birds need nutrients that won’t make them fat or bulky, they need foods that promote energy and ease of flight and movement.
Birds also need vitamins that support their immune system, eyesight, and sensory strength. Also, they need hydration to maintain body temperatures and digestion.
Cucumber is a highly beneficial fruit to offer birds as it checks most of these boxes. It’s rich in Vitamins C and K, these improve birds immune system, plumage, and eyesight.
It has a good caloric ratio for energy so it will give birds energy without bulking them up, and its 96% water so its great for hydration. Other minerals in cucumber such as magnesium, potassium and manganese support strong bones, beaks, claws, and talons.
Dangers of giving birds cucumbers
Before serving cucumbers to our feathered friends there are some important facts to know. Like most fruits and vegetables, pesticides are used on this produce to keep rodents, insects, and parasites from cucumbers. Pesticides are toxic and fatal to birds.
If the bird overindulges on cucumbers this can result in birds having crop impaction issues. Diarrhoea can also develop with the increase of fibre and water. Cucumbers can come with a waxy layer on the peel of the cucumber, this can block the bird’s bowels leading to constipation and agitation.
How to serve cucumbers to birds
It’s very import that you know how to prepare this beneficial fruit to birds. Do not give birds high quantities of this fruit, the bird will like it for its crisp, sweet, fruity, and juicy properties but too much of a good thing is a bad thing
Offer your bird moderate amounts, a few thin slices every day while giving them other treats makes for a healthy balanced diet. If you have more active and larger birds then chopping cucumbers into larger bits does the trick.
Cucumber seeds are highly nutritious, they contain anti-diuretics. Still, too much can be bad for the bird
Preparation is necessary before serving the fruit to birds. Yes, the peel of the cucumber is rich in fibre and nutrients, but it can’t be eaten as it. If it is too waxy, peel the wax off.
A thorough wash with running water or produce cleansers is important. Some bird pet owners suggest that soaking the fruit in a mixture of water and salt or water and baking soda is helpful.
A better option would be to buy organic food at your local farmers market. If you can’t do this then preparation (as mentioned before) of fruit bought at your local supermarket will do the trick.
Alternative fruits and vegetables for birds
There are lots of fruits and vegetable alternatives that are just as beneficial to birds. Of course, even with those fruits and vegetables, we must also give them a thorough wash to remove pesticides. Giving them a mix of produce allows birds to have variety in their diet which they need
Here is a list of alternative fruits and vegetables beneficial to birds: oranges, apples, grapes, cherries, banana, mango, cantaloupe, tomatoes, peppers, kale, parsley, Brussel sprouts, cabbage and broccoli. These fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals. Plus, you can find then at your local variety store, farmers market and pet café.
Birds eat a variety of foods. Here are some articles looking at if birds eat quinoa, watermelon, pineapple, cheese, celery and eggs. Click the links to read more
Conclusion
Birds need more than just seeds and meats to maintain good health. They need fruits and vegetables which deliver vitamins and minerals needed for energy, immune strength, digestion, and plumage.
In the wild, they know to include variety in their diets. It is highly beneficial to include cucumbers and other fruits and vegetables into the daily diets of birds.