Do Pigeons Eat Bananas? All You Need To Know
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As we all know that bananas are good for humans, but the question arises that are they really good for pigeons. Pigeons can eat bananas as it is best suited for a pigeon`s beak and also provide good nutrition.
The Pigeon Diet
What pigeons eats depends on two factors that is wild pigeon and domestic pigeon. All the types of pigeons are evolutionary and are pre-destined for a granivorous diet. The opportunistic feeders are wild pigeons. Whereas the urban pigeons in particular have gained such a reputation that is eating practically any kind of food that has been discarded by human beings.
The diet of the domesticated pigeons are somewhat controlled by the bird`s owner. The pigeons might forage for wild food whereas the birds are kept to eat the food provided to them. This is considered as proprietary food that is made up of seeds, grains and nuts. The owner can also supplement this with mealworms, vegetables and fruits.
Do Pigeons Eat Bananas?
Pigeons can absolutely eat bananas. Pigeons are very suited to eat the fruit like banana and the reason behind this is that the flesh of the fruit is nice and soft. The beak of the pigeon is not designed for large or overly hard items. The pigeons can easily handle the banana flesh.
If health benefits of banana are seen, there is a high level of great nutrients and also pigeons needs vitamins but it is not limited to:
- Potassium
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin A
- Iron
- Magnesium
Pigeons need all the above nutrients for a variety of health benefits. This makes banana a great snack as it keeps their bodies to function healthily and normally.
Potassium is an electrolyte that needs to be replenished because of which the birds could become dehydrated.
Vitamin A is used to maintain the eyesight and eye health of the pigeons. It is also beneficial for the bones and mucus membrane.
Vitamin B6 is important for the metabolism of amino acids and is essential for the overall health of the bird.
Iron is important for the production and maintenance of haemoglobin that enables blood to carry the oxygen around the body.
Magnesium helps in the proper digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals into the bird`s body.
Do Bananas Good For Pigeons?
The bananas are not such plants that grow naturally across all the areas of the globe. It totally depends where the pigeon lives, it will depend on the either the fruit or out in the wild. They completely depend on the owner to provide it in a domestic setting.
As a balanced diet, banana is a good addition for domestic or fancy pigeons and if anyone is providing it then feed the pigeons with raw bananas without the peel or feed the pigeons with organic bananas with the peel.
This ensures that birds are not contaminated by the pesticides that are present on the regular banana but are actually absent from organic fruit. Peels are nutritious as it contains potassium, essential amino acids, fibre and polyunsaturated fats.
The birds should not be feed with cooked bananas as cooking removes almost all the nutrients. Also, pigeons should not feed the banana chips even it contains fibres and other nutrients, it is a refined food and many of its variety also contain sugars that are not good for birds.
There may be organic chips that are unrefined without any additives at all. There are cheaper and more appropriate ways to give fruits to your birds.
Do Pigeons Eat Other Fruits?
Yes, of course. When presented with access in the wild or given as part of a prepared diet by an owner, pigeons like to enjoy a wide variety of fruits in their regular eating schedule. Some of the most popular fruits that the pigeons will eat include:
- Pears
- Berries
- Apples (make sure to deseed them as the seeds can be poisonous to small birds).
- Cherries
- Raisins
- Currants
- Grapes
Take Away Message
Pigeons do eat bananas, but it is very important that pigeons also get an overall balanced diet. This could go along with the fruity treat.