Birds eat milkweed seeds? - Ask Extension
Will birds eat milkweed seeds? Or are the seeds poisonous?
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Birds eat milkweed seeds? #887585
Asked October 09, 2024, 4:18 PM EDT
Will birds eat milkweed seeds? Or are the seeds poisonous?
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
The seeds do include the chemicals that help milkweed resist herbivory, but birds likely only ingest a modest number. Several bird species, however, will be highly attracted to milkweed to eat the insects drawn to the pollen, nectar, or to the predatory insects that eat the other insects. Also, several bird species are known to select milkweed "fluff," often still attached to the seeds, for their nesting materials.