Birds Safely Digest Uncooked Rice

Despite an urban legend repeated every wedding season, birds can safely eat uncooked rice without exploding or dying. The myth claims that dry rice rapidly absorbs water inside a bird, expands, and kills it. In reality, wild rice and other moisture-absorbing grains already form part of many birds' diets, while their digestive systems break down rice long before it could expand enough to cause harm. Advice columnist Ann Landers famously spread the misconception in 1988 by publishing a warning against throwing rice at weddings.

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