African Myth

[teflondon]

Hello birds lovers, it is believed in Africa (Nigeria) that if you add SUGAR to your bird water, if it escapes or u let it out it would always come back home. Whats your view on this ?

 

[Ann333]

Never heard of this, i doubt sugar every day is healthy though...? And sometimes lost birds dont come home because they CANT FIND home, not because they dont want to go home.... Interesting idea though...

 

[kq_fan]

I would not trust that at all... Or at least I wouldn't test that theory. It doesn't sound logical. And sugar isn't the best thing for a bird all the time.... It is a creative thought though.

 

[RavensGryf]

Most definitely folklore there... No logical sense in it.

 

[teflondon]

this practice is widely carried out here must especially with pigeons and some how it works

 

[Mango121913]

Birds process food differently than humans. Natural sugars in fruits and vegetables is okay in small servings. I don't think sugar can be used as a memory stimulant IMHO.

 

[Kalidasa]

Pigeons return because that's what pigeons do, they always return to their nesting site. Parrots are nomads, so if you want a parrot to come to you, it has to be trained in flight recall. If it gets loose, all the sugar in the world won't bring it back. Total myth.

 

[SilverSage]

Agreed, pigeons come home without sugar, and adding sugar to the diet whether in food or water is a VERY bad idea.

Also, most parrots are not given the chance to learn their surroundings and to become strong fliers. In order for a parrot to return home he must both know what home looks like from every angle and also poses the physical capability of flying there. Most pet parrots poses neither of these abilities and that, to a large extent, is why so few are recovered.

 

[teflondon]

it was after one of Senegal escaped and i couldn't find it, a friend told me to try the sugar stuff just in case another of my bird escapes.

 

[Parrotlet]

Don't be silly...

 

[SilverSage]

Parrotlet, his member is asking about somehitng tey heard. Please be nice to him and others even if you think they are not being logical. He is trying to get the right info.

 

[Hawk]

Hello birds lovers, it is believed in Africa (Nigeria) that if you add SUGAR to your bird water, if it escapes or u let it out it would always come back home. Whats your view on this ?

Interesting...I heard honey in water before. Sugar in water, not sure that would work....then again parrots do have a sweet tooth, healthy or not for them, they do crave a bit of sweets. In the real wild of the jungles parrots will seek out the sweetness of nectars. The watery nectars are in some fruit of the amazon and African nation as well, are incredibly sweeter than processed sugar. Go Figure.