do big birds eat small birds

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When it comes to birds eating other birds, hawks, falcons or owls are usually the birds that come to mind as typical predators. If you have a backyard feeder, chances are that a Hawk or two (or more!) has even swooped in and eaten one of your “regulars”. However, there are lots of other birds, such as the following 10, that add other birds to the list of food they won’t turn their bill up at.

#1. Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) With a nickname like the “butcher bird” for its habit of impaling its catch on spiky plant matter or barbed wire fences, probably not a big surprise! It eats mammals, insects and small birds.

#2. Great Black backed Gull (Larus marinus) Preys opportunistically on on a range of other birds like migrating passerines and colonial nesters. Some of its”victims” include the Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Roseate Tern, Manx Shearwater, and Horned Grebe. Adult waterfowl are often attacked and killed when newly banded and released. Some gull pairs are specialist predators on conspecific chicks or Herring Gull chicks.

#3. Great Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Eats a wide array of animals including fish, insects, mammals, amphibians, birds and crustaceans. Read more about the Great Blue Heron in this Fishy Friday post.

#2. Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)Adults are opportunistic foragers with a varied diet of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animals. Fledglings known to practice cannibalism, feeding on smaller nestlings fallen to the ground or already dead. Adults, on occasion, observed to eat chicks in adjacent nests. Here’s another post about herons.

#3. Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) Eats seeds, nuts, corn, berries, fruits and sometimes raids bird nests to eat eggs and nestlings; they also eat mice and occasionally adult birds.

#6. Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) Mainly eats insects, spiders and other arthropods. Occasionally eats lizards, nestling birds, even minnows.

#7. Blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Sometimes raids nests for eggs and nestlings, and sometimes pick up dead or dying adult birds.

#8. Gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis) They eat arthropods, berries, carrion, fungi and commonly takes eggs and nestlings. Has been shown to be a major arboreal nest predator in boreal forests. Here is a previous post about the Gray jay.

#9. American Crow (Corvus albus) A frequent nest predator, the American Crow eats the eggs and nestlings of many species including sparrows, robins, jays, terns, loons, and eiders. Also eats carrion and garbage.

#10. American Raven (Corvus corax)Commonly associated with carrion, but not limited to scavenging. A generalist omnivore that eats live meat, eggs, insects, grains and fruit. Will eat small animals from the size of mice and baby tortoises up to adult Rock Pigeons and nestling Great Blue Herons.

Eggs: Backyard Birds Known To Eat Other Bird’s Eggs

Fish Crow (Family: Corvidae. Genus: Corvus)

American Crow (Family: Corvidae. Genus: Corvus)

Blue Jay (Family: Corvidae. Genus: Cyanocitta)

Common Grackle (Family: Icetridae. Genus: Quiscalus)

Brown-Headed Cowbird (Family: Icetridae. Genus: Molothrus)

Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Family: Picidea. Genus: Melanerpes)

Black-Capped Chickadees (reported in three studies) (Family: Paridae. Genus: Poecile)

do big birds eat small birds

The Black-Capped Chickadees were the bird that most surprised me. I’m not sure how common this is because I couldn’t find any other references to eating bird eggs in other sources. Although I have seen reports of them taking eggs out of bluebird nests, it seemed like they were doing it to compete for nesting spots. (Note: We see Carolina Chickadees in my yard instead of Black-Capped Chickadees.) There don’t appear to be similar reports for them. ).

All About Birds’ Brown-Headed Cowbird page suggests that the reason that female Brown-Headed Cowbirds will eat shells and eggs is a need for calcium. Their parasitic approach to laying many eggs in the nests of other birds makes calcium a priority apparently.

do big birds eat small birds

Nestlings: Backyard Birds Known To Eat Other Bird’s Nestlings

Red-Shouldered Hawk (Family: Accipitridae. Genus: Buteo) (one report)

Cooper’s Hawk (Family: Accipitridae. Genus: Accipiter)

Sharp-Shinned Hawk (Family: Accipitridae. Genus: Accipiter)

Fish Crow (Family: Corvidae. Genus: Corvus)

American Crow (Family: Corvidae. Genus: Corvus)

Blue Jay (Family: Corvidae. Genus: Cyanocitta)

Common Grackle (Family: Icetridae. Genus: Quiscalus)

Red-Bellied Woodpecker (occasionally) (Family: Picidea. Genus: Melanerpes)

do big birds eat small birds

#2. The opportunistic Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) feeds on a variety of other birds, including colonial nesters and migratory passerines. The Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Roseate Tern, Manx Shearwater, and Horned Grebe are a few of its “victims.” When newly banded and released, adult waterfowl are frequently attacked and killed. Certain pairs of gulls specialize in preying on conspecific or Herring Gull chicks.

#3. Egretta caerulea, the Great Blue Heron, consumes a variety of creatures, such as fish, insects, mammals, amphibians, birds, and crustaceans. See this Fishy Friday article for more information about Great Blue Herons.

#9. American Crow (Corvus albus): A common nest predator, the American Crow consumes the eggs and nestlings of a variety of birds, such as eiders, terns, robins, jays, and sparrows. Also eats carrion and garbage.

Typically, when one thinks of birds that prey on other birds, one would think of hawks, falcons, or owls. It’s likely that a hawk or two—or more—has visited your backyard feeder and devoured one of your “regulars.” But there are plenty of other birds that add to the list of foods they won’t turn up for, like the next ten birds.

#7. The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) occasionally raids nests in search of eggs and nestlings and occasionally gathers dead or critically ill adult birds.

FAQ

Do birds eat small birds?

While most birds in your yard probably consume insects and/or seeds, some backyard birds do eat other birds. Some target adult birds. Some eat other birds’ nestlings. And some eat the eggs of other birds.

Do larger birds prey on smaller birds?

Hawks often eat little birds, especially their babies. Hawks are pretty close to being an apex predator. As long as the little birds can see the hawk and can maneuver around it, the hawk cannot get them, and they can drive the hawk off. Songbirds also attack crows, as crows are nest robbers.

Do bigger birds eat baby birds?

Birds like crows, blue jays, northern mocking birds and many more eat hatchlings and eggs. And of course hawks. This is quite natural.

What birds prey on baby birds?

Baby birds are even eaten by squirrels! Hawks, owls, snakes, lizards (in some places), crows, magpies, skunks, foxes, weasels, possums, the list is endless. Baby birds are a nice chewy packet of protein, and at this time of year in the North Temperate zones, they are everywhere.