Crows are enigmatic black birds and are considered clever, curious, and not particular about their food. From cleaning up the homeowner's yard to brushing for prey in the wild, crow diets cover quite a range for such a very adaptable and intelligent bird.
In this blog, we are going to see what crows eat. We will also look into those foods that these birds tend to avoid, giving you the full picture of the crows' diet preferences.
Crows are masters of getting the most from what is available, and leftover food scraps stand as a prime example of their opportunistic feeding habits. If you have ever thrown away a piece of food you would probably see a crow swooping down to grab this.
These birds have varied tastes and are not particularly fussy about what they eat. They will rummage through almost anything edible, be it left out or cast off as refuse.
If you own a pet, you have more than likely noticed crows lingering around feeding time for your cat or dog. Both dry kibbles and moist canned food are delicious meals for crows. They've been known to steal bites from pet dishes left outdoors.
Specifically, crows are attracted to the protein content of the pet food. They are always on the lookout for an easy meal, and a pet food bowl.
Every part of them is nothing that a bird feeder could intend to welcome, but crows are not one to stand on formality when invited for dinner. Often thought of more as a necessary component for smaller bird populations, a crow will most certainly come to a bird feeder.
Sunflower seeds, peanuts, and cracked corn are some of their favorites. Crows are enormous and intimidating compared with most other birds that frequent a backyard, so, if they do decide to come to an offering, they can overpower a feeder.
Fruits make up a considerable percentage of Crow's diet, and it has a particular fancy for sweet, ripe fruits. Therefore, if you have fruit trees in your yard, apple trees, cherry trees, or fig trees, do not be surprised if the crows come to visit for a snack.
These birds are efficient pickers of fruits from the tree but would be much happier scrounging fallen fruit off the ground. Grapes, berries, and even citrus fruits are the most attractive to them.
Vegetables are certainly not as much of a target to crows as are fruits, but they might also work their way into the diet of the raven family, especially when there is a shortage of food. Commonly, crows are observed invading a garden patch of vegetables.
These birds are very intelligent and can figure out how to peel back leaves or husks to reveal the part of the plant that is edible. Crows find corn, a food heavy in carbohydrates, particularly irresistible. Because this is so, they will peck directly into the kernels right on the cob.
Crows are well known to invade the nests of other birds to snatch their eggs, as a result of which, you can witness the clever and resourceful nature of their actions. If you have chickens or any other birds on your property, their eggs may become the target.
Crows are particularly adept at detecting and raiding nests, whether in trees, shrubs or on the ground. They can easily wedge open an eggshell using their sharp beaks to get into the nutritious contents inside. They won't mind if it's your chicken coop either.
Crows just love nuts, and they aren't going to settle for staring while someone else has all the fun. They have a particular interest if the nut is in its shell; in such a case, expect the temptation to be virtually irresistible.
Their powerful, pointed beaks are well-designed to open them, cracking through even the most tightly sealed shells almost effortlessly. In some cases, crows have been observed to use tools, such as dropping nuts high over some hard surfaces to crack them open.
By nature, crows are scavengers; while it is not the most pleasant part of their diet, carrion does play a vital role in their feeding habits. If a crow has passed by an animal that died the crows do not shy away from cleaning it up.
This behavior doesn't only secure survival but also has an ecological effect of scavenging the land of dead animals, hence preventing diseases. Crows are well designed for this position with high levels of stomach acids that help in digesting rotten flesh.
With their intelligence, crows can find grubs and other insects for food, which then becomes an essential control method in the ecosystem. Crows will dig into the soil of your lawn or garden in search of such a protein-rich snack.
They especially prefer beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other insects that are easily caught and consumed.
Crows get a bad rep for the love they seem to have for garbage, but that's just another indication of their adaptive feeding behaviors. They are attracted to the smell of rubbish and can be extremely cunning in getting to garbage cans.
Crows, within urban and suburban areas, have learned that a typical garbage can contains a treasure trove of edible scraps, and they have devised ways to get the lids off or rip through bags. It is in these conditions that their intelligence flashes, working around the ways to access foods thrown away.
Crows are majorly scavengers, but in rare cases, they will take on the role of predators by hunting small animals like mice, frogs, or even young birds. This behavior is usually witnessed when other sources of food are not available and the opportunity arises.
Crows are opportunistic feeders, meaning they take whatever opportunity there is on their food pathways, including small, meaty prey. They are very successful predators when they do hunt because of their sharp beaks and good eyesight; they can rapidly fall and overpower small animals.
Crows appear to have a special liking for bread, which could explain why it is the most commonly observed food they eat, especially in towns where people have a habit of throwing out stale bread. If you leave out a piece of bread, with crows around, it likely won't last very long.
They can easily spot pieces of bread and dive for them, which makes for quite a simple meal. There are examples when crows soak dry bread into the water to soften it so that it becomes easier to eat.
Crows seem to adapt rather well to human environments, and this extends into the food they consume. These birds will eat just about any human food they can get their beaks on, so they are common visitors to fast-food parking lots and picnic areas.
Pizza crusts and french fries are frequent targets when crows are foraging in urban areas. Evidence has shown that crows will pilfer food right from people's hands or rummage through uncovered waste bins.
Interestingly, if dog bones are placed in the yard and contain marrow, crows will peck at them. Inside the bone, the soft, fatty marrow is full of nutrients, and the crow figures out a way to get to it.
They have big, strong beaks with which to peck through the bone. While they might not consume the entire bone like a dog would, crows are persistent and will work at a bone until they've gotten everything possible from it.
Now, crow heaven is the compost piles. In these piles lies an absolute smorgasbord of food leavings and organic matter, through which they can easily pick. In case you maintain a compost pile in your yard, do not be surprised by the visit of crows to it in a regular way.
Although being scavengers, crows are also opportunistic hunters and will sometimes prey on small mammals. They can capture and eat rodents such as mice and voles; sometimes, even young rabbits.
Small mammals provide a rich source of protein and fat that becomes very valuable to add to the crow's diet. The crow also kills prey with sharp beaks and strong feet, again exhibiting versatility in its scavenging and predatory habits.
Amphibians include frogs and toads and are, similarly, good game for wild crows. These birds are good at foraging around ponds, streams, or any other form of water where amphibians may live.
Crows catch frogs and toads with their pointed beaks by snatching them from the edge of the water or wading into shallower depths.
As spring and summer are the times of year when amphibians are most active, they are particularly tempting to crows during these seasons. The wet habitats in which amphibians live also support many other kinds of prey, so these habitats are notably rich hunting grounds for crows.
Wherever crows occupy riparian habitats, they can add fish as a supplemental part of their diet. The surprising aspect of the crow's repertoire is their good fishing ability, so they are commonly found in rivers, lakes, or the seafront.
They will catch small fish in the action of diving down to snatch them from the water or search out dead fish that have washed ashore. Such behavior gives evidence regarding the adaptability and readiness of crows to exploit available food sources in different forms.
Crows have been known to raid other birds' nests, steal eggs, and sometimes even nestlings. This behavior is very typical of the breeding season in areas with a great abundance of eggs and young birds.
The pointed beak permits crows to pierce an egg and feed on its contents: a rich source of protein and fats.
They are known to prey on nestlings also, taking advantage of their weakness and vulnerability. For example, this predatory activity will impact a great deal on the populations of smaller bird species, since crows are efficient in finding and raiding their nests.
Crows will eat seeds and nuts of all kinds when left to their natural state in the wild. They will harvest acorns, pine nuts, or other seeds from trees, sometimes caching them for later.
Crows have good memory storage, so they know where their food storage sites are for very long periods. This way, they can get hold of food in winter, when food resources are generally sparse.
Most birds, including crows, avoid spicy foods. They can detect the capsaicin which is in the hot peppers and gives them that hot taste. Capsaicin causes a burning sensation in birds just like it does in humans.
Crows, however, are omnivores, meaning they will taste a wide variety of food, although they learn quickly and will avoid anything too spicy.
Crows do not have a particular liking for citrus fruits. Citrus fruits have given off too strong of a scent, consisting of either orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit. Their taste is sour, which crows dislike. Even if out of curiosity, they have pecked on some citrus fruit, they rarely consume even just a fraction of it.
Citrus fruits contain acids that may be too harsh on their digestive system and are thus not that suitable. The oils in the peel of citrus fruits act as an irritant to a crow's beak and feathers, and eating the fruits becomes even less preferred. For these reasons, crows generally avoid citrus fruits and go for something more delicious.
Crows find raw onions and garlic too pungent. This strong-tasting and strong-smelling food throws the balance off and is generally avoided by the majority of crows. The sulfur compounds in the onions and garlic, a natural defense and the source of their aroma and taste, might be enough to irritate the birds.
Crows are generally quick to notice that these foods are no longer popular; their sense of taste and smell is well-developed. Although crows are scavengers, almost eating anything, raw onions, and garlic are just a few of the things they would rather go without because of their overpowering taste and smell.
Although the crow is widely thought of as a scavenger and will eat many human foods, it often avoids something that is excessively processed and junky with absolutely no value in nutrition. Therefore, although they would take a piece, they might not bother much with some foodstuffs that represent a package of completely void calories.
Crows are cleverly convinced about what food is good for them. If a certain food item contains nothing of real substance, they have been known to go in search of something more filling.
While crows are so bright they shy away from food they know will harm them, even if they can swallow it, that includes most mushrooms and poison-dart-frog-like toxic plants, and human-made substances now like pesticides.
In time, the crows also become familiar with the substances that can harm them and so will usually learn to avoid them. This may happen from experiences other than through personal experience and by hearing of those other experiences. They develop an inborn caution to keep away from deadly things.
As much as crows are scavengers, they can also stay away from food that goes to the extreme rotten and spoiled stage. Of course, they consume carrion and plenty of other edibles, but they would rather avoid food that has rotted so much as to become unpalatable.
Food that is too decomposed can provide breeding spots for harmful bacteria and toxins from decomposition that even crows shun. Plus, their keen sense of smell will easily guide them to aged food, and they are usually picky enough to scavenge only fresh food.
While the crow does frequently eat nuts and grains, it has an aversion to raw, undesirably digestible grains. Unprocessed rice and raw beans are, similarly, less appetizing for the crow, as ingesting them would create some digestive unease through poor processing.
Crows prefer grains that have been softened, like in cooking or are just naturally soft, so there is a lot less moment and energy expended in taking them in and breaking them down.
