Do crows eat vegetables?

Yes. Crows do eat vegetables. As omnivores, they can eat meat, and they are even famous for it. But, they can also feast on vegetables and even fruits.

Crows are famous for eating corpses and roadkills (animals hit by a car). Unknown to many, crows have a wide range of choices when it comes to food.

With a variety of eating options, you may wonder why vegetables and fruits become part of crows’ diet.

What makes vegetables and fruits part of their diet?

Let’s find out!

Vegetables and fruits as food for crows

Crows are scavengers by nature. In finding their food, they will focus on the easiest and most available opportunity.

With this in mind, you will understand that vegetables and fruits would be the best choice for a crow.

Here are a few other reasons why vegetables and fruits are ideal for crows:

Best Opportunity for Food

During the summer and fall seasons, fruits and seeds are likely to fall on the ground. It is in this particular scene that crows come in.

Crows often feed on stuff on the ground, and they’ll peck on fallen fruits or seeds during these seasons.

Easy to Get Food

Crows can get their claws and beaks in vegetables and fruits with ease.

Unlike hunting for live prey which would usually try to escape, crows can swoop down with ease and grab them.

There is Little to No Danger in Getting These

When going for plant-based food, crows won’t have to worry about other predators.

With a live animal in hand, they may end up getting chased by an eagle or a hawk, or others who want the same prey.

Now if they eat plant-based food, you may ask:

Is vegetable their favorite?

It is not accurate to say that crows favor any food. The simple answer is that they favor what is available.

Crows can live on different kinds of habitat, and they will survive with what is available.

For example, crows that nest in the wild feeds more on worms, insects, small animals and other wild foods.

Crows can also survive in cities or urban areas, pecking on garbage and worms. They would also go for street rats and small insects lying around.

The ones nesting near farms and gardens would be eating fruits and vegetables. They would also be eating other things such as pests and insects.

It is most likely that crows would favor what they frequently eat.

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Can I feed vegetables and fruits to crows?

Generally, crows are intelligent enough to find food and survive on their own.

Despite that, the idea of feeding them is not entirely new.

A lot of people do feed crows, and you can as well.

Since you already know that they eat vegetables and fruits, you can take out a handful and let crows feed on it.

But what vegetables and fruits do they eat?

Is there any particular vegetable or fruit they eat?

Crows don’t eat a particular vegetable or fruit. So long as they have access, they’ll definitely grab and munch on it whatever these are.

They do, however, eat more of the following compared to other plant-based food:

While crows eat the ones stated above, it’s not limited to it.

You will often see crows munching on other vegetables, be it still attached to plants or thrown in the trash.

If crows eat nutritious food like vegetables and fruits, would that make a difference?

Crow’s Nutritional Intake

Every food that crows eat has different nutritional value for them.

Vegetables and fruits provide vitamins and other nutrients for them.

On the other hand, meat, seeds, and even insects provide higher energy.

If you are worried about the nutrition they get from hunting, there’s no need for that.

Crows have a modified digestive system. It’s their way of gaining nutrients from their long list of food choices.

The fact that crows eat vegetables and fruits poses a problem.

What about the farms where plants are grown? Do farmers need to be wary about crows?

Let’s find out.

Crows in Farms and Gardens

People often see crows hovering around farms and gardens filled with crops and fruits.

Fun Fact: Crows became famous for being a nuisance to people’s gardens. You may have heard and seen a Scarecrow. That’s the beginning of that particular idea.

For this reason, farmers and garden caretakers often blame them for damages to the area.

Crows may be a pest, but in a way, it’s not entirely true.

Aside from vegetables and fruits in farms and gardens, they also eat other things they find on the grass.

Among these are:

• Caterpillars
• Grubs
• Armyworms
• Spiders
• Snails
• Snakes
• Mice
• Frogs
• Insects of all kinds

While crows do have an eye towards the crops, they can help eliminate other pests that damage the plants.

According to The Humane Society:

A crow family can eat 40,000 grubs, caterpillars, armyworms and other insects in one nesting season. That’s a lot of insects many gardeners and farmers consider pests. These good environmental citizens also transport and store seeds, thus contributing to forest renewal. And their habit of eating carrion makes them part of nature’s cleanup crew.

The Humane Society

Still, it doesn’t mean that you would let the crows stick around and let them get rid of pests.

While they can help, it’s best to prevent them from staying in your garden.

If you own a garden or a farm, here are the things you need to protect your plants against crow attacks.

Protect your farm or garden from crows with these five easy steps:

1. Arrange a bird net over your plants or wrap it in the framework built around your plants.
2. Cover seedlings with fabric to prevent crows from getting them.
3. If you plant corn or any visible crop, protect it by wrapping a bag around it.
4. Set streamers throughout the area for protection.
5. Install some protection surrounding the area. You can use any cord, fishing line, or fine wires. It is ideal to set it accordingly, ensuring both safety and protection for farmers and plants.

Summary

To summarize everything up:

• Crows do eat vegetables. They are omnivores and will eat both meat and plant-based food.
• The reason why crows often eat vegetables and fruits is that these are easy and safe to get.
• Crows don’t favor vegetables above any other. They prefer the most available according to the area where they nest.
• They aren’t picky eaters when it comes to vegetables.
• Crows get what they need through their modified digestive system. Be it vegetables or insects; they’ll gain all the nutrients they can get out of it.
• While crows may help get rid of pests in farms and gardens, they can be pests themselves. Thus, it’s ideal to set up protection around your farm and garden to make them safe from crows.

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