The animal kingdom can be scary, especially if you are a weak, little, baby bird.
Not only do baby birds have a high chance of dying because they are so small and fragile, but these tiny animals can be attacked by another bird and killed. This article looks at do birds eat other birds’ babies
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Do birds eat other birds’ babies?
Eating a baby bird is easy for adult birds, in fact, almost anything can eat a baby bird. So yes, birds do eat other birds’ babies.
Animals see any type of meat as a walking protein source, they will eat meat at any opportunity because easy to access animal protein is hard to come by in the wild.
Birds of prey are birds that will eat other animals, birds of prey are known to eat a variety of different meats, the meats that these animals eat include rabbits, lizards, small mammals, and other birds, baby birds included.
Birds of prey will eat adult birds including adult doves, sparrows, pigeons, robins, grouse, warblers, shorebirds, and jays. These prey birds will also kill and eat the babies of these birds because they are weak and defenseless.
Birds of prey will also kill and eat the babies of other birds of prey, that is, as long as the parent bird is not around.
These carnivorous birds are quite quick when it comes to killing and eating baby birds, they are ruthless as well.
The predator bird will aggressively pick at the baby bird as it eats and the baby bird will lay there defenseless.
Prey birds do not see baby birds as another bird, they see baby birds as food.
If the parent bird does not notice the predator bird quickly enough to protect its baby, then the baby bird will be dead by the time the parent comes back.
The baby bird does not initially understand what is happening during the attack because it is frightened, it will also be in shock throughout the pecking and will likely feel nothing because of the rush of adrenaline in its body, it will quickly die.
Birds that eat hatchlings and eggs:
- Blue jays
- Northern mocking birds
- Crows
- Magpies
- Ravens
- Grackles
- Woodpeckers
- Gulls
What birds eat adult and baby birds?
- Hawks
- Eagles
- Peregrine
- Owls
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: How To Make Pigeon Nest Bowls, How To Move A Pigeon Nest, Can You Disturb A Pigeon Nest?, How To Get Rid Of A Pigeon Nest With Eggs, How To Stop Pigeons Nesting On Sky Dish