Bird food plants Bird food plants Bird food plants are certain trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants bear fruits which afford food for birds. These have been discovered by observation, and by the scientific examination of the contents of birds' stomachs. By planting those species, therefore, which have been proved most desirable and that are suited to the climate and soil of the chosen location, birds can be attracted to the vicinity of dwelling houses or to any other desired spot as a copse or shrubbery, or, on the other hand, lured away from valuable orchards, since they appear to like best arid, bitter,
Human uses of birds whereas an antelope can yield as much as 31,000 kcal/hour, and wild rye around 1,000 kcal/hour. Birds have been domesticated and bred as poultry for use as food for at least four thousand years. The most important species is the chicken. It appears to have been domesticated by 5000 BC in northeastern China, likely for cockfighting, and only later used for food. In ancient Egypt, poultry including ducks, geese, and pigeons were captured in nets and then bred in captivity. Chicken now provides some 20% of the animal protein eaten by the world's human population in the form of meat