This blatantly manipulative hoax keeps going around and around and around Facebook, and I’m beyond sick of it. One version currently has 8,725 shares, even though people have debunked it over and over in the comments. It’s frustrating as hell to see a debunking comment followed by a string of “aw, poor birdie” comments, then another debunking and another string of… well, you get the idea.
No one seems to be taking credit/blame for this garbage, but the originator is an idiot who’s needlessly upsetting goodhearted people.
There are three huge problems with this image:
- Wildlife biologists and rehabilitators don’t report birds dying from gum clogs (Google it).
- Birds aren’t so stupid that they can’t tell gum from bread (which they shouldn’t be eating either).
- The birds in the photo are swallows, which eat only insects, and the dead one has been hit by a car.
There are valid reasons to toss chewing gum in the trash instead of on the street, but saving birds isn’t one of them. Please don’t “like” these posts, don’t share them, and inform any friends who share them that they’re perpetuating a hoax.
Life, Birds, and Everything 
Facebook taught me that many people are idiots and don’t fact-check, then I quickly realized why those people vote for idiots. I have myself debunked several memes like that, yet the same people continued posting same idiotic posts. I decided that I don’t care anymore, if they want avoid noodles because it eats your brain or throw their microwave or cellphone away, fine, power to them.