Have you seen a squirrel eating a bird before? Do squirrels eat birds? Seems like something you would hear from one of those fictitious friends.
Everyone knows that squirrels are adorable little creatures that love nuts and fruits.
It would come as a big surprise for many if squirrels were to eat birds. Imagine if your backyard birds were at risk because of the adorable squirrels you see around your surroundings?
Once you have the right amount of knowledge, you should take the best steps regarding protecting your environment. By reading here, you will learn a lot and truly have all the answers.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Linda. Read more about our knowledge control process here.
Contents
Do Squirrels Eat Birds?
What exactly is an ideal squirrel meal as per your knowledge? Your obvious answer is nuts, and it is correct. There is no doubt that squirrels do love their nuts. However, apart from nuts, do you have any other ideas?
Most people do not know that squirrels are omnivores. Has it got you as a shock? It really should not surprise you. Squirrels are the best example of opportunistic feeders. Squirrels tend to eat almost anything they come across.
Availability of food determines what a squirrel is going to eat. That explains why a squirrel would be an omnivore since it is ready to eat what is available. Back to the main question, can squirrels eat birds?
For survival, squirrels will eat birds. As an omnivores animal, squirrels take any food available around, including bird and bird eggs. Squirrels do not feed on any specific bird breed. The size of bird matters. Squirrels tend to target baby birds.
When nuts and fruits are hard to come by, a squirrel will look for baby birds to feed on. A squirrel prefers to eat plant-based foods on a normal day.
However, when scarcity arises, squirrels will not be picky.
Do Squirrels Like To Eat Birds?
Now that you have learned of squirrels eating baby birds, you may question whether they enjoy something. The whole idea of squirrels eating birds has more to do with their nature.
Squirrels are natural survivors. That means that squirrels will eat up almost everything that comes up. Eating birds may not be a favorite for squirrels, but if it keeps them alive, why not.
In most cases, a squirrel prefers to have its nuts, fruits, mushrooms and vegetables. However, this has never been a limitation for the squirrels. When it is scarce, and nuts are hard to come by, squirrels will turn to what is readily available.
Squirrels choose to eat baby birds because they cannot fight back. It is one of the easiest sources of proteins for a squirrel.
Squirrels have also been seen eating adult birds. However, in this case, the bird was already dead. A squirrel will always eat what is available if it keeps it from hunger.
For a squirrel, seizing the opportunity is more important than eating something they prefer to have. Squirrels are referred to as opportunistic omnivores. This arises from their nature of choosing to survive against all odds.
How Often Do Squirrels Eat Birds?
It also becomes important to understand how frequently a squirrel will feed on birds. If you have some amazing birds within your environment, it may be of great need to look after their welfare.
In a case where there are rare birds within your environment, you would want to have them protected, bearing in mind that squirrels do feed on their babies. In most cases, how often squirrels feed on birds depends on current conditions.
When food is in plenty, you would hardly expect a squirrel to eat birds. That is because the first option of a squirrel is plant-based foods. A squirrel only turns to eat birds when there are few options in the surrounding.
Squirrels will, therefore, eat birds more often when food is scarce. The true nature of squirrels involves being opportunistic regarding their diet. Squirrels are always ready to change diet once an opportunity arises.
Even though your idea of squirrels may have changed by now, you need to understand that every animal has a specific nature unique to them. In this case, the squirrel’s nature is that of being ready to adapt to the environment.
What Are People Saying About Squirrels Eating Birds?
Most people raised a lot of concerns after finding out that squirrels do eat baby birds. It wasn’t very pleasant for many to learn that an animal as adorable as a squirrel can eat birds.
Many saw it as being unusual to see a squirrel eating a bird and sometimes mice. In any case, one might even think they woke up on Mars without even realizing it. However, it is not as unusual as many would think.
What surprised many is their idea of believing squirrels to be herbivores not being true. You would want to believe so because you will likely come across a squirrel eating plant-based foods.
However, the reality is quite different. A squirrel will become an omnivore when the need arises. That goes hand-in-hand with their nature of being opportunistic animals. The biggest surprise for many people is how adaptable squirrels can get when times get hard.
Other concerns have also been raised, questioning if squirrels can cause a decrease in the population of birds in a given region. However, that should not cause a stir since squirrels will eat birds when no other option is available.
Can Squirrels Eat Dead Birds?
It is now not a myth that squirrels will eat birds. Although it may not be their first option, it is still a good option when there is scarce food available.
What of dead birds? Are they also an option for squirrels? The truth can be quite shocking to some. However, for anyone who has understood the true nature of squirrels, the answer is pretty obvious.
Squirrels will not leave behind anything edible, whether dead or alive. The main priority for a squirrel is to survive on what is available. It should, therefore, not hit you as a surprise if you came across a squirrel eating a dead bird.
Several people have witnessed squirrels eating birds that died after smashing on window panes. It was a shock to many who did know that squirrels are the kind of animals to seize any opportunity that presents itself.
A squirrel would gladly eat a dead bird, for it has to feed to refuel its energy. When you think about it, squirrels do teach us to seize every opportunity that presents itself.
Wrapping Up
If you would love to protect birds that you fear stand to be harmed by squirrels present in the environment, it is quite simple. You can easily solve the problem by ensuring the squirrels have an alternative diet.
That would involve setting up feeders specifically meant for squirrels. Once squirrels have enough plant-based foods, they do not focus on eating birds. That is because they already have enough to keep them from hunger.
Squirrels only turn to eat birds when scarcity is the order of the day. Be informed and make choices that will leave you at peace.