Foxes are highly adept at surviving in the wild and you’ll see that in their habits. They are quick to flee in the face of danger and the speed of their scampering is hard to match.
The way foxes approach food is also indicative of their remarkable survival skills. These creatures have the type of diet that allows them to thrive in all kinds of conditions.
Learn more about the fox’s diet as well as its food preferences by continuing with the rest of this article.
Will Foxes Eat Birds?
Foxes will eat birds both domestic and wild. Adult foxes are not especially fond of consuming birds. Instead, adult foxes hunt birds down as feed for their cubs. They’re also known to take eggs away from a bird’s nest and either crush them for immediate consumption or bury them to be eaten later.
Do Foxes Like to Eat Birds?
Foxes have been around for a long time and they have managed to hang around due in part to their diet. Unlike some wild animals that may starve because their main source of food has disappeared, foxes can feed on all kinds of things.
The fox’s diverse diet is one of the more remarkable aspects of their nature. They are omnivores.
Wild foxes will happily dine on fruits and vegetables they find throughout their travels. At the same time, foxes are also fond of protein like those in fish.
Do not be surprised to see foxes feast on different types of animals. For instance, birds make up a good chunk of a typical fox’s diet.
Foxes will prey on wild birds without much hesitation. The wild birds that foxes often prey on include pigeons, doves, robins, and ducks.
You may also see foxes prowling around hunting areas in search of birds they can scavenge. They may finish the job of killing game birds that managed to escape hunting parties.
Unsurprisingly, foxes will also not shy away from hunting and killing domestic birds.
Do Foxes Eat Chickens?
If you’re a farmer or just someone who likes to care for chickens, watching out for foxes should be among your foremost concerns.
Foxes are among the main threats to domestic chickens and they will tear through your brood without hesitation if a good opportunity presents itself.
What makes foxes especially threatening chicken predators is their innate hunting capabilities.
Foxes can sneak into your chicken coop and snatch away a bird with relative ease. The fox may be able to capture and escape with a chicken without causing much of a stir.
Once a fox finds out that it can successfully sneak chickens away from your coop, it will come back for more. Foxes will try to take away as many chickens as they can even if they have to save some of the carcasses for later.
Furthermore, foxes are willing to hunt chickens down no matter the time of day. They will attempt to take your chickens in the middle of the night and they may also do so even while the sun’s out if they can get away with it.
Unless you’re okay with sustaining the fox population in your area, you need to keep your chickens adequately protected. Set up the safeguards necessary to keep those wily predators at bay.
Do Foxes Prefer Eating Birds?
Given that foxes prey on birds frequently, it would seem safe to assume that they enjoy eating those feathered creatures. But, it might not be what’s true for all the foxes.
According to Wildlife Online, adult foxes don’t eat birds very often. If that’s the case, then why would foxes hunt birds down so frequently?
As it turns out, adult foxes may be hunting birds down not for their personal consumption. Instead, they may be going after birds because they need food for their cubs.
Typically, adult foxes don’t like to go after birds because hunting them down requires plenty of time and energy.
Foxes can be more efficient hunters when they go after smaller mammals such as rabbits and gerbils.
They go after birds anyway because those animals are better food for their offspring. Birds provide plenty of calories and they allow the young foxes to grow stronger faster.
Foxes mainly targeting birds as food for their cubs could also explain the distinctive hunting patterns.
For the most part, foxes like to go after birds during the spring and summer. That’s probably because the cubs need the most calories over that time.
Do Foxes Eat Eggs?
We’ve established that foxes young and old will eat birds, but what about eggs? Are foxes also open to eating eggs that birds may leave unattended?
Foxes will indeed hunt eggs if they have the chance.
A fox may also get sneaky when eating eggs. To avoid any trouble, they will carry the eggs away from the nest prior to consuming them.
Carrying the eggs away from the nest also gives the foxes some options. They can either eat the eggs now or bury them in the ground.
By burying the eggs in the ground, the foxes can save them for later feeding. The foxes can go back to those eggs when there’s food scarcity.
Foxes also have an interesting way of eating eggs. A fox will place the whole egg in its mouth and bite down on it to release its contents.
It will then leave the eggshell behind not far from the nest.
Frequently Asked Questions about Do Foxes Eat Birds
What Food Aren’t Allowed To Be Eaten By The Foxes?
Despite their diverse diet, foxes are not fond of eating grains. If you try to feed a fox some rice or another type of grain, it will likely go elsewhere in search of food.
What Time Do Foxes Come Out?
Foxes typically like to eat during the break of dawn or right before the sun goes down. However, they will hunt at any time if their cubs need food.
Conclusion About Will Foxes Eat Birds
Foxes eat birds. Birds are common prey for foxes and the cubs in particular enjoy feeding on them. Even bird eggs will not be spared when foxes are on the hunt for food.