The bird-flu scare is over, but the infamous myth of birds exploding will always come back around for wedding season.
Many brides have heard this notorious tale of how having rice thrown at their wedding can cause birds to combust from eating it, but lucky for animal loving women, this is completely untrue.
According to Roy Crowe, an eagle consultant at the Southeastern Raptor Center with Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine, eating rice may not be as good as birdseed, but it isn't fatal mistake. Rice is a grain," Crowe said. "It's just like birdseed." Crowe said he had never seen a bird explode and wasn't aware that people still believed this myth.
"I don't know of anyone who has said rice kills birds," Crowe said.
Sarah Ernst, junior in Spanish, said she has always believed that rice can cause a bird to explode.
"With all my heart I (believe it)," Ernst said. "It only makes sense: rice expands when it gets wet. So when it's inside (a bird's) stomach, after the bird ate a lot, there's not enough room to expand."
Unfortunately, Ernst had never witnessed a bird eating rice.
Many wedding planners deal with brides expecting a fun and exciting sendoff, but rice has quickly become dated and something not often desired by most brides.
For Gary Klarenbeek, wedding planner at the Fountain view Mansion in Auburn, the biggest issue with rice has become safety. "We certainly don't want anyone to twist their ankle due to the rice," Klarenbeek said. "Also, the rice can clog pool and fountain equipment not to mention be a horrible mess to clean up."
Crowe, who was also a minister in Opelika for more than 20 years, suggested birdseed as an alternative for those who may still enjoy the idea of throwing rice.
"Rice is a problem to scoop up and clean," Crowe said. "Birdseed is less slippery and will disappear quickly." For many of Klarenbeek's brides, sparklers have become the best alternative for creating a unique send-off that guests are excited to be apart of. "Some brides contract with a professional company for a major fireworks display, although that's pretty rare," Klarenbeek said.
Ernst said she would use bubbles or rose petals as an environmentally safe alternative.
"Fresh rose petals are biodegradable and simply blow away in the breeze," Klarenbeek said. "Silk rose petals are horrible and we don't allow them."
Although throwing rice at a wedding will not kill a bird, it is still not allowed in most cities, including the city of Auburn for a completely different reason.
According to Catrina Cook, assistant director of the city of Auburn's environmental services, it can be considered littering.
The first violation punishment is a fine of no less than 250 dollars.
The city of Auburn does not suggest throwing rice unless you are ready to pay them for it.
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