By Tim Lambert
For thousands of years, people have eaten birds. Many different types of birds were hunted or raised for food. Birds’ feathers were, of course, useful.
Chickens
Chickens were domesticated in about 6,000 BC in Southeast Asia. Later chickens spread to India, then to the Middle East and Europe. The Romans liked eating chickens and their eggs. Today, chickens are still a common food. So are their eggs.
The cartoon rooster Foghorn Leghorn first appeared in 1946 in a cartoon called Walky Talky Hawky.
14 May is National Dance Like a Chicken Day.
Doves
People have eaten doves for thousands of years. In Ancient Egypt, they were a common food.
Ducks
Ducks have been an important source for thousands of years. Mallard ducks were domesticated in China about 2,000 BC. Shortly afterwards, they were domesticated in Egypt. Muscovy ducks were domesticated in South America. From Ancient Egypt onwards, people also hunted ducks, not just for food but also for sport. Ducks have other uses. Duck feathers are used for quilts and pillows.
Donald Duck first appeared in a cartoon called The Little Wise Hen in1934. Daffy Duck first appeared in a cartoon called Porky’s Duck Hunt, released in 1937.
Rubber ducks were first made in the late 19th century, but at first, they weren’t designed to float. The modern rubber duck was invented by Peter Ganine in 1947. It was made of acrylic and was painted yellow. Today, 13 January, is Rubber Duck Day.
In October 1976, the song Disco Duck by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots reached number 1 on the US chart.
Finches
In the Middle Ages and Tudor Times people ate finches.
Geese
Geese were probably first domesticated in China about 5,000 BC. Geese were domesticated in the Middle East about 3,000 BC. People ate geese, of course. However, in Ancient Greece, geese were also kept as pets.
In the Middle Ages, geese were a common source of meat. People also ate goose eggs.
In the Middle Ages, people were not supposed to eat meat during Lent, but they could eat fish, and beavers were considered fish. Strangest of all, people sometimes ate barnacle geese during Lent because they believed that they did not come from eggs; instead, they grew from barnacles on pieces of driftwood. So they could be considered fish. As late as 1891, the Bishop of Ferns in Ireland said it was OK to eat barnacle geese during a fast because ‘it is more fish than fowl’.
Goose feathers were used for writing. They were made into quill pens. They were also used to make the fletchings on arrows. Goose fat was also used for cooking.
Geese were also ‘guard dogs’. They honked loudly if alarmed, warning humans of danger. Geese once saved Ancient Rome. In 390 BC the Gauls sacked the city of Rome. The Romans took refuge
29 September is International Happy Goose Day.
Herons
In the Middle Ages, grey herons were eaten at feasts. They were high-status foods, and only the wealthy ate them. In Britain, it’s illegal to kill herons.
Robins
People often ate roast robins. However, in 1918, in the USA, it was made illegal to hunt robins. In Britain, it was made illegal to kill robins in 1981.
Rooks
In England, people ate rooks. Rook pie was a popular dish. Hunting rooks was made illegal in England in 1981.
Sparrows
In England, people often ate sparrows, boiled, roasted, or cooked in pies. Killing sparrows was made illegal in Britain in 1981.
Swans
Eating swans was first recorded in England in the 13th century. In 1247, King Henry III ordered 40 swans for a feast. When I was a child, I was told that all swans belonged to the monarch. It’s not strictly true. The king only owns unmarked mute swans on open water. Butfrom the 15th century, some people were granted the right to mark swans and therefore to own them. The law restricted ownership of swans to those who owned a certain amount of land (no peasants were allowed to own them). If they paid 6 shillings (a big sum of money), they would be granted the right to carve a certain mark on their swan’s beak.
Keeping swans was very profitable, and the rich often ate them at Christmas. A man who looked after swans was called a swanherd. In the late 19th century, the cruel practice of carving a swan’s beak was replaced by putting a metal tag on their leg. Also, in the late 19th century, eating swans went out of fashion. Finally, in 1981, it was made illegal to kill, injure, or eat a swan, destroy their eggs, or disturb their nests.
Thrushes
The Romans often ate fried thrushes. In the Middle Ages, thrushes were a common food, fried, grilled, or cooked in pies. Today, in Britain, it is illegal to kill thrushes.
Turkeys
Turkeys are native to Central America, where they were eaten for hundreds of years. The Spanish brought them to Europe in the early 16th century. Turkeys were introduced into England in about 1526. Henry VIII was the first English king to eat turkey.
Eating turkey at Christmas was uncommon in England until the 19th century. It was traditional to eat goose at Christmas. But Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843. In the story, Scrooge bought a turkey for Bob Cratchett and his family. It then became fashionable to eat turkey at Christmas.
In the USA, it’s traditional to eat turkeys at Thanksgiving.