Do Squirrels Eat Birds? Here's Why They Might Eat Baby Birds!

Squirrels may seem quite cute, but they are actually wild animals and part of the rodent family.

There are different types of squirrels, such as gray squirrels, red squirrels, tree squirrels, flying squirrels, and ground squirrels. Each type has unique features to set them apart from the others.

People find watching these furry animals scurry around their backyard, having fun, and relaxing. However, some people also find them bothersome when they keep stealing bird seed from their bird feeder meant for birds to eat.

Squirrels have a tendency to eat the food meant for birds if it is within their reach. They take over the bird feeder and don't let the birds in. They never leave until they are full or they get bored.

Generally, squirrels and birds don't mind each other unless squirrels take the food source away from birds. The people who feed birds and squirrels have a fun time watching the interaction between the two species.

It is easy to forget that squirrels aren't tamed animals but rather scavengers who never let an opportunity to eat or collect food go away.

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Why do squirrels eat birds?

Squirrels are scavengers that eat whatever they can find available to them. Studies have found out that the stomach content of squirrels and chipmunks consists of 75% of animal matter. So yes, squirrels do eat birds, and there are some very interesting reasons behind it.

Squirrels don't really bother with eating birds if they are finding other food sources such as nuts, seeds, or corn. They love eating nuts and the bird seed they steal from a bird feeder. The problem arises when there is no other food option available for squirrels.

This generally happens during the winter season when squirrels either did not collect enough food in preparation or forgot where they stored their food (yes, it's funny but true!). A squirrel will then eat birds that are young fledglings or already dead to get adequate nutrition and satisfy their hunger.

Another completely opposite motive is that squirrels eat birds not for the sake of eating but just for play. Sometimes, a squirrel might toy with a dead bird and look as if it is eating it, but it is just playing with it rather than feeling hungry.

They might eat some parts of the bird's body but not the entire thing if they are already feeling full.

Moreover, squirrels don't really attack birds that are alive and they typically don't eat adult ones. What they do eat are bird eggs and nestlings. They also eat dead birds or carrion when they find them.

Squirrels are intelligent and they are wild animals who are also called nest robbers. When they find a nest without an adult bird, they tend to steal eggs and eat them. If the nest has young birds or fledglings in it, squirrels eat them too.

Bird eggs and nestlings, along with carrion, become part of a squirrel's diet due to the nutrients they provide. Squirrels eat meat in order to consume the proteins and other rich nutrients present in it.

When they cannot consume their typical diet due to various reasons, they resort to eating the things they can find, such as the occasional window-struck dead bird, stolen bird eggs, and nestlings.

Are squirrels predators of birds?

Squirrels are opportunistic omnivores that never let go of the chance to eat meat if they are presented with it. They would always rather be full than go hungry.

If they cannot find nuts and other food items that are part of their normal diet, they will eat whatever they find. They are part of the rodent family and look like furry little creatures that are always up to mischief, sometimes they are!

Squirrels don't particularly target or attack birds or their eggs and nests. In a way, yes, they are predators of birds as they eat them to sustain themselves.

However if squirrels are given their preferred food of nuts and corn, then they won't attack birds. In that sense, some might say that they are not predators of birds. It depends on how one looks at the scenario and what perspective one is focusing on.

Even though squirrels are considered to be mostly herbivores, they are actually omnivores. A squirrel would attack the nest of a bird or eat carrion for its own sustenance. Squirrels living in urban areas often have to resort to staying close by garbage cans in order to find something to eat.

It is noticed that squirrels might also eat insects and other small animals such as baby bunnies, baby chicks, and other vulnerable birds. Apart from bird food, eggs, and baby birds, squirrels will also try to find other meat sources to feed on to survive.

Shockingly, there are some squirrel types that would also attack the young ones of their own kind. The reason for doing so is not clear, but there are some instances where people have seen a male squirrel attack and kill a young one.

However, if you feed squirrels from their own feeder consisting of nuts in your backyard, you won't find birds staying away or squirrels attacking them.

What birds are squirrels afraid of?

Until now, we explored how squirrels are considered to be predators of birds. They prey on small birds, young ones, and bird nests. However, there are some birds that are quite big, and they can easily overpower squirrels.

Squirrels, even though fast, are small enough that some larger birds are able to prey upon them. In this case, the predator becomes the prey.

While squirrels eat bird eggs, bird seed, and carrion, larger bird species instead prey upon them and eat them to sustain their hunger. One of the most well-known birds that eat rodents is the owl.

An owl is popular for getting rid of the rodents pestering people's farms and backyards. Squirrels are also then prey to the owl, which attacks mostly at night.

Owls are considered to be the top player of the bird food chain and are predators by nature. Squirrels being small, are easy to prey upon and become a food source for owls along with mice and other rodents. Many people, therefore, use an owl doll to keep squirrels out of the feeder or out of the house.

Kites are another bird species that hunt and prey upon this species of rodent. They, too, are predatory by nature, and with their sharp sight, they can easily track these small scurrying animals and attack them.

Yet another predatory bird that eats them as well other smaller birds, is the sparrowhawk. It is known for eating songbirds, but research has found that squirrels are also a part of the sparrowhawk diet.

It may seem that while squirrels eat bird eggs, ground-feeding birds, nestlings, and carrion, they are also consumed by larger predatory birds.

What small birds do squirrels eat?

The answer to the question of do squirrels eat birds has already been discussed. Squirrels eating birds is now known, however there is more to it. There are different types of squirrels, and they each eat different birds or bird eggs.

Gray squirrels are known as nest raiders as they attack the nest and eat eggs and fledglings. They are also seen sometimes attacking adult birds and eating them. Red squirrels eat birds too.

They are said to be the most carnivorous of all squirrel types. Similar to gray and red squirrels, ground squirrels and tree squirrels are also omnivores that eat both plants and animals.

They, too, prey upon bird eggs and young ones. Flying squirrels eat birds and bird eggs. The southern flying squirrel is the most popular type of flying squirrel.

There are specific birds that are part of the squirrel diet. These include juncos, hummingbirds, warblers, and sparrows. Even though a squirrel may not attack blue jays, it will try to attack their nest and eat the eggs or the young ones.

A squirrel eats young birds, eggs, or the carcass of a dead bird, but it does not really attack adult birds or ones that are larger than them. The squirrel is an animal that is an omnivore and eats birds, insects, eggs, and carrion along with the diet of different nuts, corn, and bird seed.

Did you know...

There are ways to ensure that the squirrel population doesn't disrupt the setting for people who are bird lovers and feed birds through bird feeders in their backyard.

To protect birds and their bird feeders, you can ensure that a squirrel stays away by using a few methods. Backyard bird feeders should be placed in such a way that a squirrel cannot jump or try any other way to get to it.

Bird feeders can be customized with small openings so that the squirrel is not able to get inside. There are also tube feeders that can be used to avoid a squirrel from finishing the seeds.

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