Berries and birds....

[Rainbowmum]

I was delivering my papers today and admiring gardens...as you do and noticing different berries on lots of bushes. Then a question occured and I hope someone here will know the answer.
How do birds know which berries to eat? and which ones are inedible or not good for them? Or can they just eat any they choose?
Thanks,
Louise xx

[badgerwatcher]

I used to have a dog, Bonzo, who got me interested in herbal medicine. He used to eat comfrey for his arthritus. One day I noticed he was eating pellitory-of-the-wall, when he had a urinary infection, so I looked it up and it is a remedy for urinary tract infections. I firmly believe that some instinct tells animals and birds what they need, or can eat, in the same way that people will sometimes suddenly crave a particular food.
Also, if we didn't rely on watches, we'd know what the time was without them, and if we hadn't invented speech, we'd know what we all meant much better.

[aeshna5]

All berries have evolved to be eaten by birds or mammals for seed dispersal, but some are clearly more favoured than others. Also some exotic species are relatively ignored, perhaps as our birds don't recognise them, though some other exotics are relished such as Pyracantha + some Cotoneasters.

Fruit colour seems to be a factor as some exotic Rowans with pink or white berries seem to be taken less than orange/ red berries.

If you want some in depth stuff on this there's an excellent Poyser book called :

Birds + Berries

which is still available + an interesting read.