Is this true about pigeons?

Question

Is it true that pigeons can't eat popcorn or they'll explode? I know its a stupid question, but its one of those things I've never seen a pigeon do (eat popcorn that is, although I haven't seen them explode either).

Any help to a random question?

Answer 1

They can explode.  Pigeons basically have a one way digestive tract, thus they can nut burp, so the gas just builds up in their tract.  Once the pressure gets greater than their insides can handle, the pressure will force its way out by either making a small hole to seep out of, or by (more dramatically) rupturing the insides of the bird.

Although I am not sure if popcorn has this effect, rice and alka-selzer do

Answer 2

Nope, just another stupid urban myth!

Answer 3

Yes they can explode but its not the way you think. They would probably just have a lot of internal bleeding and you wouldn't actually see them explode. Although I'm not sure popcorn works. Rice should do the trick though  

Answer 4

pigeons can explode... which is weird :/

Answer 5

Popcorn, rice, alka-selzer, and other expandable foods do not cause birds to explode.

When birds eat, they swallow the food into the crop, a receptacle at the front of the neck/breast area, where it is kept and partially digested before passing on to the gizzard.  Birds then are able to regurgitate any indigestible portions; they also regurgitate partly digested food to feed their chicks, and a male bird will feed his mate small amounts too.  I have even seen a bird regurgitate perfectly good food in order to have room for something more tasty!  

So, whatever they swallow that doesn't work out well for them, they will spit out.

Answer 6

I don't know about popcorn, but rice is a myth.  Birds will not "explode" if they eat rice.  I saw it on Urban Legends.  Here is a quote and link too.

"There is no evidence to support the urban myth that birds are going to be negatively impacted by rice," says Dr. Becky McPeake, extension wildlife specialist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. "I've never heard a report of an exploding bird from eating rice. If anything, rice farmers have problems with flocks of blackbirds consuming too much rice in their fields."

http://www.uaex.edu/news/june2008/0627we...