Chicken or Chaffinch: Are You Eating Birds?

Posted by on November 1, 2024 | Permalink

If you wouldn’t eat the wings of a sparrow, a swan, or an owl, why eat a chicken’s wings?

On World Vegan Day (1 November), we gave Peterborians some food for thought. Passers-by in Peterborough – which was recently named the best birdwatching destination in the UK – were stunned to see PETA’s display:

The full “menu” of bird-based “dishes” included crow, sparrow, owl, robin, blue tit, swan, and heron – locally sourced, of course.

Wings Are for Flying, Not Frying

Chickens recognise their friends, talk to their unhatched babies, and fiercely defend their chicks, and they don’t want to be cut up and eaten any more than Peterborough’s beloved robins and finches do.

Chickens can distinguish among the faces of more than 100 other chickens and communicate with at least 24 unique vocalisations, each with a distinct meaning. Like sparrows and many other wild birds, they roost together and have complex social hierarchies.

Yet chickens killed for their flesh are crammed by the tens of thousands into filthy sheds, where they’re forced to live in their own waste. At slaughterhouses, their throats are often cut while they’re still conscious and many are scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

Stop Eating Birds

Horrified by the thought of cooking up songbirds? Extend that compassion to all birds, including chickens, and stop eating them.

November is World Vegan Month – a perfect time to stop being an animal-eater and switch to delicious plant-based meals. Join in PETA’s World Vegan Month challenge and order our free vegan starter kit for tips and recipes: