What Makes Bird Poop White? - National Audubon Society

Skip to main content

• Menu
• Audubon
• Magazine
• Español
• Our Work
  • Protecting Bird Habitats
    • Coasts and Oceans
    • Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands
    • Grasslands, Aridlands, and Forests
    • Cities, Towns, and Parks
    • Audubon Across the Hemisphere
    • Bending the Bird Curve
  • Climate Solutions
    • Our Climate Strategy
    • Birds and Clean Energy
    • Natural Climate Solutions
    • Restoration and Resiliency
  • Policy and Advocacy
    • Audubon Advocacy
    • Climate Policy and Renewable Energy
  • Our Science in Action
    • Audubon Science
    • Migratory Bird Initiative
    • Birds and Climate Change
    • Important Bird Areas
  • Latest News
    • Bird and Conservation News
    • Press Room
  • Why Birds?
• About Us
  • Who We Are
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
    • Leadership & Board of Directors
    • Reports & Financials
    • Find Audubon Near You
    • Work With Us
  • Where We Work
    • States
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Florida
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Ohio
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Vermont
      • Washington
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
    • Americas
      • Belize
      • Bolivia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Mexico
      • Panama
      • Peru
      • The Bahamas
• Explore Birds
  • Bird Search & ID
    • Visit Our Guide To North American Birds
    • Download the Audubon Bird Guide App
  • Get Into Birding
    • Birding Hub
    • How to Get Started
    • Tips For Identifying Birds
    • Birding Advice and Stories
    • Frequently Asked Bird Questions
  • Birding at Home
    • Bird Feeding and Care
    • Search for Native Plants
    • Audubon Birdseed, Houses, and More
  • Gear Guides
    • Gear and Resources
    • Binocular Guide
    • Spotting Scope Guide
  • Photography
    • Bird Photography Hub
    • Tips for Photographing Birds
    • Camera and Equipment Advice
    • Audubon Photography Awards
  • Avian Art
    • The Aviary
    • The Audubon Mural Project
    • John James Audubon's Birds of America
    • The Sketch by Jason Polan
    • The Birdsong Project
  • Search for Birds in Your Area
• Get Involved
  • Take Action
    • Action Center
    • Take Action to Protect Habitat for Birds and People
    • Support Climate Action to Protect Birds
    • Save Irreplaceable Bird Science Programs
  • Audubon Near You
    • Audubon Near You
    • Events
    • Audubon on Campus
    • Visit an Audubon Center
  • Community Science
    • Community Science at Audubon
    • Christmas Bird Count
    • Climate Watch
    • Great Backyard Bird Count
  • For Kids
    • Audubon for Kids
    • Audubon Adventures
    • Audubon Nature Camps
  • Find Ways to Get Involved
• Membership & Giving
  • Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Your Membership
    • Gift a Membership
  • Donate
    • Donate
    • Great Egret Society
    • The Canopy
    • In Memorial Gifts
    • In Honor Gifts
    • Matching Gifts
  • Giving Other Assets
    • Gifts of Appreciated Stock
    • IRA Charitable Gifts
    • Real Estate Gifts
    • Legacy Gifts
    • Donor Advised Funds
  • Shop
    • Audubon Marketplace
    • Birdhouses and Feeders
    • Bird Seed
    • Calendars
    • Puzzles, Games and DIY Kits
  • More Ways to Give
• Near me
• Search
  • Search Audubon Recent Popular Search
    • Ways to Give
    • Audubon Near You
    • Native Plants Database
    • Audubon App
    Search the site Search Bird Guide
• Near me

  Your Location

  Getting up nearby offices, centers, sanctures and chapters

  Showing offices, chapters, centers and sanctuaries near you.

  Zip Code Change Use My Location

  No Audubon locations nearby

  Explore our locations

  Nearest Centers and Sanctuaries

  Nearest Chapters

  State Office

  More Near You

• Donate

News What Makes Bird Poop White? And why is it so hard to wash off your car?

Share By BirdNote Published November 27, 2017

This audio story is brought to you by BirdNote, a partner of the National Audubon Society. BirdNote episodes air daily on public radio stations nationwide.

Transcript: This is BirdNote. Birds brighten our lives. We find joy in their songs, inspiration in their soaring flight. They connect us with nature. But sometimes birds connect us a bit too directly with nature. Park under the wrong tree – one where a flock of starlings or grackles comes to roost – and nature may be painted in white on your car so thickly that it takes a trip or two through the carwash just to see through the windshield again. Aside from helping you decide where not to park next time, this messy event raises a scientific question: Why is most of the bird poop we see white? The answer lies in the fact that birds, unlike mammals, don’t produce urine. Instead they excrete nitrogenous wastes in the form of uric acid, which emerges as a white paste. And uric acid doesn’t dissolve in water easily. Hence its ability to stick to your windshield like blobs of white plaster. It appears that drivers of some cars might be asking for trouble. A study in England found that red cars are most likely to be the target of bird droppings, followed by blue and black. Green was the least likely. So be careful where you park. And give that red Mustang a wide berth. For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Producer: John Kessler Executive Producer: Chris Peterson Narrator: Michael Stein Written by Bob Sundstrom Song of Black-headed Grosbeak [126546] provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, recorded by T.G.Sander. Flock of European Starlings recorded by Martyn Stewart of naturesound.org © 2014 Tune In to Nature.org November 2017 ID# poop-02-2012-11-26 poop-02 Link to birds “targeting” red vehicles Visit Birds Tell Us to Act on Climate page Birds Tell Us to Act on Climate

Pledge to stand with Audubon to call on elected officials to listen to science and work towards climate solutions.

Sign the Pledge ¡Atención!

La página que intenta visitar sólo está disponible en inglés. ¡Disculpa!

The page you are about to visit is currently only available in English. Sorry!

OK