Have you ever watched as birdies peck at seeds on the ground? It doesn’t look like they pick and choose at all – more like they do a general all-over snatch and grab, no matter what it is.
But they actually have sharply discerning senses that allow them to choose ‘seed’ rather than ‘something awful,’ saving them from glomping down tons of stuff that isn’t food.
Petey is smart that way. He likes his seeds Just the Right Size – the small ones aren’t ripe enough, and squooshy ones are too ripe, and the greenish ones? Perf.
They do eat sharp pebbles, which stay in their throats, because they don’t have teeth. How weird is that?!?
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© Angela Treat Lyon 2021