16 July 2020
Songbirds have good reason to fear white-tailed deer. Contrary to popular belief, deer are not vegetarians. Though they forage on plants they will eat eggs and baby birds when they encounter them. Some people have seen it in person. Trails cams show the rest of us.
Be alert when you hear a songbird freak out in the presence of deer. There’s a reason. Learn more and see a video in this vintage article: Deer Are Not Vegetarians.
(photos from Wikimedia Commons; click on the caption to see the original)
Fascinating! I had heard of squirrels turning a little carnivorous from time to time but never deer!
On a side note, I wanted to say thank you for these daily (!) posts of yours. I’ve learned so much from them and your site is one of the first I check when I log on in the morning.
Squirrels are not herbivores. They are rodents and like other rodents, they are omnivores. Yes, squirrels generally eat berries and nuts. The internet is flooded with pictures of squirrels eating birds.
One time I was gardening in the backyard when I noticed a commotion behind me. It was a Grackle attacking a House Sparrow. I got up to go stop it but it was too late for the House Sparrow. I mourned the House Sparrow for half a minute and went back to my gardening. Then I noticed the Grackle come back and grab the House Sparrow and fly off with it. With the help of the internets, that day I learned Grackles will eat other birds.
I echo Andrew’s comment. I too have learned much from your blog. Thank you.
Oh. My gosh.. I feel like my whole life was a lie and just got a little more dark after reading this. I always thought deer were the most pure animals. Wild, beautiful, and untouchable … like unicorns. Nope !