It’s no secret that crows can be ruthless. Their success stems from a combination of intelligence and a willingness to eat just about anything. Part of the varied crow diet even includes other birds!
But where does this mentality come from, and do they just attack other birds?
Key takeaways:
- Crows can eat pretty much everything; they aren’t picky with their food.
- Sometimes, this can end with raiding bird nests or killing smaller birds.
- Generally speaking, crows aren’t too likely to just kill every bird they see, but if another bird threatens them or their territory, crows are quick to protect.
Eating What Is Available
Crows are incredibly adaptable birds. In large part, they can survive in so many places because they eat so many different things!
Although these familiar birds can eat small animals, they aren’t exactly carnivores. They feed on grain, fruit, insects, and carrion, too, but we wouldn’t refer to them as vegetarians, frugivores, or scavengers either. Crows are “all of the above” and adapt to eating whatever foods are available.
These opportunistic omnivores eat lots of insects but usually avoid bugs with bright colors (probably because they taste bad). Farmers have often viewed crows as pests that damage their crops but the birds also help people by feasting on Gypsy Moth caterpillars and other harmful insects.
Crows also eat berries and other fruits, and forage for seeds and grain. I often see crows feeding in open farm fields; the perfect place to catch insects and other bits of food. Another place we see crows is at the garbage dump. Apparently, for crows, it’s a good place to find something to eat!
Crows that live near water can wade in and catch small fish, crabs, and aquatic insects. The big black birds can also catch mice and yes, they also prey on birds.
Hunting Or Scavenging?
How often do crows prey on birds? As with so much of their foraging strategies, that depends on how often the opportunity presents itself. If a crow realizes it can easily catch and eat birds in certain places, it might do that on a daily basis.
Crows will eat birds when they have the chance but they don’t usually prey on adult birds. The exception is when an ever observant crow notices an adult American Robin, Song Sparrow, or other small bird in trouble.
If the small bird is ill, injured, or unable to fly, a crow would probably take advantage of the situation. After flying in close to check the bird out, if the crow sees that the bird can’t defend itself, it would probably kill and eat it.
See more: Birds that eat other birds
However, for the most part, crows only attack young birds for that same reason. Nestlings are more or less defenseless and fledglings are pretty vulnerable too. They can’t fly as well as adults, and aren’t as cautious. In other words, they can be pretty easy to catch!
I haven’t seen crows catch small birds, but others have. The big birds have been documented going after young starlings in flight and also attacking birds on the ground.
What About Nests?
Like many other Corvids, crows are important nest predators. During nesting season, they will go after every nest they can find. They actively watch for nesting birds to see if one might reveal the location of a nest so they can fly in and eat the eggs.
After finding a nest, crows pick up an egg and fly off with it. They might eat it right then or store it for later use. The bird will also come back and will probably keep returning until it gets all the eggs.
Studies using quail eggs have shown that crows always take the smallest egg first before eating larger eggs. While they carry small eggs with their beak, they peck into larger eggs to drink some of the contents before carrying off the rest of the shell.
Crows also attack all sorts of bird nests, everything from small songbirds to seabird colonies and duck nests. At some colonies, crows can also take quite a tool on eggs.
At one colony of Least Terns in California, over the course of five days, two crows ate 45 tern eggs! They only stopped when wildlife officers shot one of the crows to protect the tern colony.
Can Crows Kill Other Crows?
Crows can indeed kill other crows! It’s not a common occurrence, and they don’t hunt other crows, but it occasionally happens.
In general, one crow might kill another for the same reasons so many other animals fight with each other. Conflicts among the same species are mostly caused by disputes over territory, food, and mates. Crows are no exception.
A family of crows won’t tolerate another crow entering their territory because there’s only so much food to go around. They gang up on the strange crow and chase it away. If the bird doesn’t leave or can’t escape, the family can attack and even kill the intruder!
Crows might also end up fighting when a male chases another male away from its mate. Usually, the intruding male just flies away but if it sticks around, the mated male could eventually attack it.
If that crow doesn’t belong to their family group and is weak or can’t defend itself, there’s a pretty good chance the attacking crow will kill it. In a situation like that, other family members can help attack and kill the weak crow too.
Crows often view sick crows as a threat because the sick bird might attract predators or make them fall ill too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do crows kill and eat other birds?
Indeed, crows kill and eat other birds. They often attack bird nests to eat the eggs and also prey on young birds.
Do crows kill their own?
Although it’s a rare occurrence, crows can kill their own. This usually happens when defending their territory as well as to eliminate a sick bird.
Do crows attack birds that are bigger than them?
In general, crows don’t attack birds that are bigger than them.
Are crows good or bad to have around?
Crows are beneficial and generally good birds to have around. They play important ecosystem roles by eating many pest insects and rodents.