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I've put up a bird feeder outside my house, and so far I have been feeding uncooked white rice , and the birds seem to enjoy them.

However, since I read somewhere that a variety should be maintained in the diet, lest the birds start suffering malnutrition, I want to know whether I can use chickpeas as a substitute for a while. Is it safe for house sparrows, ringneck parrots ? These are the only type of birds that have been visiting my feeders for a while now.

Thanks !

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    $\begingroup$ I have read that raw rice can be dangerous for birds to the extent that it should not be thrown at wedding., It absorbs water and swells to a dangerous level. From personal experience I can say that can happen in a dog. Why not use bird seed ? $\endgroup$ – blacksmith37 Sep 18 '19 at 16:03
  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, but uncooked rice is not harmful for birds. For the time it takes for rice to expand in presence of water, it already gets digested and broken down in the bird's system. So the question of swelling doesn't arise. I have seen parrots break the seeds into smaller pieces before swallowing, so no question of trouble there too. $\endgroup$ – JavCray Sep 18 '19 at 16:15

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