Do Pigeons Eat Tomatoes? Everything Explained

Yes, pigeons do eat tomatoes, but tomatoes are not one of the best food options because tomatoes are highly acidic in nature. There are numerous methods of scaring the pigeons away and preventing them from eating our entire crop such as using nets or cloches.

Pigeon and Tomatoes – Nutrition

If we see through a simple perspective , pigeons and tomato are overall a good match. As tomatoes are considered a very healthy and nutritious food for humans same way it is considered as a healthy food for pigeons.

As the tomatoes are soft in texture they are manageable for pigeons. Pigeons are granivorous birds which include seeds, grains, grasses and small nuts in their diet. That is the reason the pigeon`s beak is ecologically designed so that it is easy for the birds to eat many types of food.

This fruit is also easily accessible because these fruits do not require sharp beaks with cutting edges. Tomatoes are very nutritious and contain protein, carbohydrates , fiber and fat that what is needed by pigeons.

Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin A, E and C. They also contain potassium,magnesium and folate. It is very necessary for the pigeon skin and is needed for pigeon`s health. The pigeons need Vitamin E and C which play an important role in the metabolic processes.

The most important nutrients in tomatoes is lycopene.The red colour of the tomato is only because of this pigment. Lycopene is one the most important and powerful antioxidant that can help pigeons or any other living organism to combat environmental stress.

The most common question that arises is that are tomatoes good for pigeons? The answer to this question is that tomatoes are good for pigeons to eat and they should do so sparingly.

The reason behind this is tomatoes are acidic fruit and too much acidity in a bird`s digestive system can be damaged over time. This make the pigeons incredibly uncomfortable and in extreme cases it can cause ulcers also.

There can be complications in pigeon related to tomatoes and that too are not oevrly common. So if pigeon owner who is able to have some control on the pigeon diet then there can be a number of options other than tomatoes. It is always advisable that to limit the tomatoes in pigeon`s diet.

The leafy part of the plant is completely safe to eat and the bird also gets the stimulation of ripping the leaves apart to get the portions small enough to swallow. The problem of acidity in birds only relates to raw tomatoes.

So whenever the tomatoes are cooked or processed , almost acidity if destroyed that is why it is better to serve your bird sun-dried tomatoes or even the sauce as comapared to raw tomatoes.

Alternatives to Tomatoes

Pigeons have a varied diet so that fruits and vegetables and fruits can be supplemented. Some of list of fruits that pigeons like to consume include the berries, banana, pears, apples, cherries, currants, raisins, grapes etc. These were some kind of alternatives which can be used instead of tomato.

The question that commonly arises that how can the tomato crops be protected from pigeons. So, if the pigeons find tomatoes they will certainly eat those tomatoes. But it is advised not to eat too many tomatoes.

Wild pigeons will not only eat the fruit but they will tear up the leafy parts for the nest building. There are ways through which the tomatoes can be protected against the pigeons.

So, the gardener will follow few steps such as pigeon nest in which the pigeons are kept away from the plants. The another way is scare tactics that means employing methods that will either deter birds from visiting the tomoto plant or scaring them away when they land.

This also includes scarecrows , hanging objects ,wind chimes, decoys. The another way is distraction tactics which is very effective bribing them away from the plants. If any pigeon is moving towards the tomato plant that only means that they are either hungry or thirsty.

So it is always better to distract them with water to drink and fill some bird feeder with appropriate amount of food. The last way is barrier tactics that is one way to keep the pigeons away from destroying the tomato plant and prevent their access.

The preventive measures such as netting, cloches, cages etc. The ultimate way to protect tomatoes is to grow the tomato plant in a greenhouse.

Take Away Message

Hence concluded that pigeons can and will eat tomatoes, but if there is a domestic setting and pigeons are consuming too much of the tomatoes, there would be high acidity level of the fruit. This condition of high acidity level of the fruit is not considered as the most ideal condition for such a small bird.