Migratory birds’ berry eating habits can teach us about healthy eating

WASHINGTON - Migratory birds favor the arrow-wood berry, high in anti-oxidants, during long flights, say researchers who claim that the birds’ diets might be used to understand the role of berries in human health.

Two University of Rhode Island scientists believe that birds choose certain berries because they offer protection against oxidative stress that occurs during long flights. Oxidative stress can lead to inflammation and a variety of diseases in birds and humans.

The team’s preliminary findings show that birds stopping over on Block Island favor arrow-wood berries, which contain more anti-oxidants and pigments than the 11 other island berries studied by the researchers.

Navindra Seeram, assistant professor of pharmacy and head of the Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory at URI, and Scott McWilliams, URI professor of wildlife ecology and physiology, have teamed up to research migratory birds’ eating habits.

Seeram reported the findings at the American Chemical Society’s 239th national meeting in San Francisco.

“We’re suggesting that birds choose deeply colored berry fruits in part because of their anti-oxidant properties,” Seeram said.

“When I started studying birds during their migratory stopover on Block Island, I was impressed that most of the migratory birds ate berry fruits even though they usually eat insects or seeds at other times of the year,” said McWilliams, who came to URI in 1999. “I began studying the relationship between the nutritional qualities of fruits and how those nutrients might fuel migration.”

The new research indicates that birds prefer to eat certain fruits that have more antioxidants and key nutrients. In return, the seeds in the berries are dispersed by the birds.

“It’s the way plants ensure their survival. Birds eat the berries, digest them and defecate the seeds over wide areas,” McWilliams said.

“Meanwhile, the birds are attracted to the berries because of their rich color, which we believe is a plant’s response to the stress of constant exposure to the sun and other stresses. Berry color could be a plant’s way of fighting oxidative stress. It’s a partnership that benefits plant and bird.” (ANI)