Don’t Think it Matters When You Throw Your Gum Onto the Ground? Stuck Hummingbird Begs to Differ

NOTE: As an important note, do not try to help wildlife of any sort unless you are trained. Find a local wildlife rehabber/rescuer or veterinarian ASAP, or call a rescue hotline. Here are some that might help!

We know we shouldn’t throw our trash aimlessly on the ground. It’s something we’re taught from a very young age, and yet, everyday people mindlessly toss scraps of paper, snack wrappers and gum out onto the ground. In defense of these careless actions, some people claim that spitting out your gum on the street is “okay,” because birds use it to make their nests.

How many times have you heard that one? But the truth is…birds don’t want your gum. In fact, instead of being a helpful tool that helps them to stick twigs together, gum can be hazardous. Just take the little hummingbird in this video, for example.

Hummingbirds are known for their ability to move like lighting, darting around the world in the blink of an eye. That is, unless they get stuck on something and can’t move! We don’t know how long this Hummingbird was stuck to the ground, but we do know this could have had a very tragic ending if a kind stranger hadn’t noticed the struggling bird. So remember this little guy next time you think about tossing that gum on the ground…we have trash cans for that!