So you want to know all about bird poop. Gross right! Well actually, there are a lot of questions to be had about our flying friend’s poop! Stay around to learn all about it.
How often do birds poop?
Birds are just like you and me, they have to poop. Even though you may have been the victim of a misfortunate bird poop landing on your car or even worse you! It leads to the question how often do birds poop because it seems like a whole lot.
The frequency of how often a bird poops depends mostly on their size and the species. Smaller birds tend to poop a lot more than a bigger bird such as an eagle.
Typically though smaller birds such as finches and sparrows poop about every 15 minutes then medium-sized birds such as robins and cockatoos will poop about every 30 minutes. Large birds will go a lot longer about an hour between poops. Large birds consist of Parrots and owls.
| Size of Bird | Species | Frequency of Poops |
|---|---|---|
|
Small
|
Finches, Sparrows, House Wren |
Around every 15 minutes |
|
Medium |
Robins, Cockatoos, Parakeet |
Around every 20-30 minutes |
|
Large |
Parrots, Crows, Owls |
Around every 60 minutes |
How often a bird poops also depends a lot on what, and how much they are eating, and how much water they are drinking as birds don’t have separate bodily functions for poop and pee.
So, if a bird is eating a lot and drinking a lot then it will need to go more quickly, than one that is asleep or flying for extended periods.
Birds along with most other animals spend most of their days collecting and eating food, whether for themselves or their young. This leads them to be pooping a lot more than other animals.
Also, it should be noted that since birds are small they don’t have as big of a digestive path as some other animals which makes the food and water pass through them a lot quicker.
This explains why a bigger bird poops less since the food and water have further to travel through to finally be released.
How many times do birds poop a day?
A bird typically poops around 50 times a day. Smaller species of birds tend to poop more often so it would not be unreasonable to say a small sparrow would poop more than 100 times a day. I know sometimes my bird feeder looks like that!
How much do birds poop?
We have all seen a bird poop, white, and black/brown, and sticks to EVERYTHING. But, how much do birds poop?
This is another question that really depends on the type of bird. A smaller bird let’s say a finch won’t be eating as much as a pigeon since they are small so a finch will poop a lot less.
A small bird will be pooping pretty small droppings, but with bigger birds comes bigger poop. Crows and pigeons have bigger poops that will be considerably bigger than a small sparrow’s excrement.
Eagle poop can be surprisingly large about the diameter of a large mug, and they can be a shock to those who haven’t seen it before!
Do Birds Poop While they sleep?
Just like us, humans (well, in most humans) birds do not poop while they sleep. They do wake up while they sleep to poop and then go back to sleep.
Since birds poop and pee from the same hole, the nighttime poops are primarily more liquidy and would be consistent with pee.
Do Birds poop in their nest?
No birds like to keep their nests pretty clean, so they deal with the waste instead of pooping in their nests. Baby birds poop in the nest, but they are enclosed in a fecal sac which is a tough membrane.
After feeding the baby birds produce a fecal sac and the parents then grab it in their beaks and drop it off at a different dumping location. Some may think that birds are pretty dirty, but they tend to keep their nests quite clean.
In some cases even, the parents eat the babies poop, since the babies bodies aren’t very effective there is still a lot of nutrients in the poop. So, the birds poop directly into the parent’s mouth, and the parents then eat it.
Gross right, well it is nature, and when a parent is flying and struggling to find food they have to get a bit creative. This helps lighten their load and have to find less food for themselves.
In the case of some larger bird species such as hawks and eagles, the babies have impressive velocity while pooping so as soon as five days after hatching they are able to keep the nest clean and poop off the side of it.
This process is called slicing and is helpful so the parents no longer need to carry the waste out with their beaks.
Do Birds poop while they fly?
I am sure you have seen or heard about being at the beach, or out in nature enjoying yourself and then boom a big splat of bird poop lands on you. Well, that’s the case for a lot of people.
Yes, birds do poop while flying, birds don’t have much control over when, and where they poop so it is very common for them to do it while they fly.
Birds do not have a sphincter which is what controls your bowel movements, so when they need to go they just go. For this reason, it is common to see birds poop while they are flying around, especially in cities with lots of pigeons!
What is Bird Poop made of? Why is it white?
Bird poop primarily consists of uric acid which is their urine. Birds pee and poop at the same time, so the white of their poop is the urine, and the brownish-black is their poop.
Bird poop is not the safest, so keep your kids and yourself away from touching it. Much like all poop, it is a breeding ground for bacteria which can be harmful to humans. It is not safe to eat and refrain from touching it and then touching your eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
If you or your child does touch bird poop don’t touch your face and wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
How to prevent birds from pooping at your bird feeder
It is impossible to have birds without the poop, and therefore you can’t prevent birds from pooping at the bird feeder. If you want the birds without the poop then you are out of luck.
Since birds have little control over their bowel movements, and when at a bird feeder they are eating a lot this can cause them to poop a lot as well. Instead of complaining about the inevitable poop, I would recommend keeping the feeder as clean as possible.
How to clean a bird feeder?
Make sure the feeder is empty, and then first spray it down with an outdoor hose, this will get rid of most of the initial mess, and then bring it inside and use some safe dish soap such as dawn.
Wash it with hot soapy water making sure to get the perching stations and all of the places the bird has been eating from.
Then rinse it out so there is no more soap, which could be harmful to the birds. Then fill it up with their favorite food and hang it back up. There is no need to wash it super thoroughly as it will get dirty again, but it helps keep it clean and extends the life of your feeder!
How often do you need to wash a bird feeder?
The answer to this question varies quite a bit. I know it is going to be difficult, but I would recommend washing the bird feeder about every month or two. This will keep it a safe place for the birds to be eating from, and won’t be too demanding on you.
If your area is frequent to rain then you may not need to wash it as often as the rain gives it a good rinse!
Do Pet birds poop everywhere?
Well, since wild and pet birds are the same then yes! Pet birds do poop everywhere, they don’t have a sphincter, so therefore they don’t have any control over when and where they poop so they do end up pooping just about everywhere.
A way to mitigate this is by providing lots of bedding which will soak up the poop and keep their cage cleaner. Birds don’t like to sleep and poop in the same place, so birds will typically poop in a corner of the cage to prevent sleeping with their poop.
You can potty train some species of birds, but it requires a lot of patience and practice. Birds can learn a lot and are deceptively smart so give it a try with your pet!
Do Birds poop while they eat?
Yes, birds poop while and where they eat. It is not uncommon to see a bird poop while they are on your feeder. I have seen it multiple times with all types of species.
Final Thoughts
Although us humans may think of poop as gross, it is a natural way for the body to release waste. Birds poop, a lot and I am sure you have seen the remanence of it whether on your car, your fresh shirt or just on the street.
It is not their fault though, birds don’t have any way to stop themselves from pooping so they poop wherever and whenever, except for their nests as they keep them surprisingly clean!
Well, friends next time you are bird watching make sure to look up as you may just get hit by some poop. Happy Birding!
Typically though smaller birds such as finches and sparrows poop about every 15 minutes then medium-sized birds such as robins and cockatoos will poop about every 30 minutes. Large birds will go a lot longer about an hour between poops. Large birds consist of Parrots and owls.
James has always been an avid outdoorsman. Since a kid, he kept a journal of all the different birds and species he saw. Now he wants to share his passion with other birders with Happy Birding!