Learn What Cowbirds Eat

Cowbirds are said to be herbivores which means that they only eat plants, vegetation, and seeds for their survival. They are also known as brood parasites which means that they lay their eggs in nests of other species. They are migratory birds, but they are short-distance migrants. They are found in the North American continent and they migrate towards the southern united states.

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Insects and animals

Cowbirds are likely to eat ticks and about 90% of their diet consist of ticks. They can eat flies, ants, mealworms, spiders, ticks, and some worms. Small cowbirds don’t eat eggs of other birds but an adult can eat. They can eat grasshoppers, caterpillars, and millipedes. As female cowbirds lay their eggs they also need calcium in their body in large amounts so for this requirement they eat snail shells and sometimes the eggs from the visiting nests.

Algae and plants

Cowbirds like to eat seeds, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, peanuts, suet, etc. Cowbirds also eat fruits like oranges, peaches. Cowbirds can eat jelly, grape jelly. Cowbirds also eat black seed sunflower oil and nyjer seeds but normally they don’t prefer them. Also, Cowbirds eat grasses, weeds, and waste grain to complete their diet.

At feeders, Cowbirds eat seeds in large amounts such as peanuts, nectar, suet, cracked corn, millet, and sunflower seeds. In the wild, cowbirds eat insects, seeds, grasses, forbs, and more.

What Cowbirds don’t eat?

Cowbirds don’t eat other birds and Japanese beetles. Cowbirds don’t eat fish and other birds. They kill baby birds to hatch. Cowbirds don’t like to eat pine seeds. 

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