Do Crows Eat Squirrels? [All Your Questions Answered]

Crows and squirrels have always been natural enemies, but what happens when they come into contact? Can crows really eat squirrels?

Crows will only hunt and eat squirrels when faced with food crises or protecting their territory. It’s more likely for squirrels to eat crow eggs than for crows to eat squirrels. 

There are many reasons behind the animosity between squirrels and crows. Read on to discover everything you need to know about how crows coexist with squirrels!

Do Crows Get Along with Squirrels?

Crows and squirrels don’t get along very well. They are natural enemies, which means they will fight each other if given the opportunity. 

This is seen in their territorial nature, as crows often try to chase squirrels away from places they feel threatened. You can spot a crow chasing a squirrel up a tree or on the ground.

However, squirrels usually have the upper hand when fighting against crows because they are smaller and more agile, making it difficult for a crow to catch them.

Can Crows and Squirrels Live Close to Each other?

Crows live all over the world, but it’s not uncommon for both species to exist close to one another. 

The only time they seem able to co-exist is when there’s plenty of food for both, such as around a garbage dump.

Even though these two animals have an adversarial relationship, they may survive off the same food source, especially where there are plenty of mealworms. 

However, that doesn’t mean that some potential conflict doesn’t arise between them now and then.
Sometimes you might spot crows and squirrels fighting around bird feeders in your backyard. You’ll even hear one of them squawking at the other.

Do Squirrels Bother Crows?

It’s surprising that squirrels also take advantage of the proximity to their predators, like crows. 

While squirrels cant hunt adult crows or eat their young, they have been known to raid nests and eat eggs.

A few squirrel species, such as the flying squirrel, may kill and consume baby crows, but this is rare.

Why Do Crows Eat Squirrels?

The reason why crows eat squirrels is that they’re a part of their diet. They are omnivores, which means that they eat both meat and vegetation. 

Crows encountering food scarcity will hunt and kill squirrels for food in their natural habitat. 

Some birdwatching enthusiasts say crows may be killing squirrels because they feel threatened by them or because the crow population is too high than the available food.

Others believe that crows don’t want to work for their food and have turned to eat small animals instead.

Generally, it can be tricky to tell if a squirrel is being hunted or if ravenous crows are looking for an easy meal to scavenge.

However, crows eat squirrels in particular instances, such as when the animal is already dead or weak/injured and can’t escape.

Crows hunt in groups, so it’s not unusual to see a group of crows attacking the same target squirrel. 
They’ll also work together to defend their territory from other intruders like hawks or owls.

How Do Crows Kill Squirrels?

Most people think crows eat dead squirrels, but they’re more likely to kill squirrels by beating them to death with their wings, sharp talons, and strong beaks before eating them. 

Crows hunt squirrels by swooping down and grabbing their prey with their feet or chasing them until they get exhausted and fall to the ground.

Once the animal is trapped in the crow’s mouth, it’s killed quickly by a combination of damage to the brain and digestive tract from the bird’s robust bill.

In some cases, the crows may injure the squirrel’s spine or head and then drag it back to a perch or nest where the crow can eat at leisure.

Crows can kill squirrels using other methods, though. If a crow catches a baby squirrel, it’ll usually drop the rodent from a height to break its neck or spine.

How Do Crows Eat Squirrels?

Crows first pluck the fur from the squirrel’s body to expose its flesh, then devour it while holding it in place with their claws.

The crow will then turn the animal into an easier-to-eat meal by tearing it open with its beak and pulling out bits of flesh to swallow whole.

When one side of the squirrel has no more meat left, the crow will flip it over to eat what’s left on the other side.

When Can You Witness a Crow Eating a Squirrel?

Crows typically attack squirrels at dusk or dawn when the light is low, and their prey is active but can’t see them coming. 

They’ll also eat in the middle of the day, but it’s not as typical. If a crow catches a squirrel during the day, it’ll typically consume it then and there and fly away.

It’ll generally avoid consuming food on the ground unless it’s hard to get up into a tree or on top of buildings.

One theory to explain why crows prefer to feed at dawn or dusk is that bright sunlight may make them nervous, so they stick with darker places where they feel safer from predators.

Are Squirrels Afraid of Crows?

Yes, squirrels fear crows because they’re natural predators of rodents.

If a crow manages to fly into a tree trying to hunt a squirrel, the latter will usually move higher into the tree and won’t come down until the crow leaves.

When a squirrel is below the level of an attacking crow, it’ll stop eating and look for a hiding place.
Some squirrels, like flying squirrels, have wing-like flaps on their front legs between arms and chest, allowing them to glide from one location to another when danger approaches.

Can You Prevent Squirrels from Getting Killed by Crows?

You may not be able to stop crows from killing squirrels, but you can take steps to prevent squirrels from getting killed by crows. 

You can find nearby crow nest sites and discourage them by placing a reflective object on the nest or using a motion sensor sprinkler.

Can You Save a Live Squirrel from a Crow?

Squirrels are a favorite food of crows, but it’s possible to save these poor rodents from their fate. 

You can’t approach the crow and try to take the squirrel back because they’ll likely attack you too. However, it’s easy to scare the crows away!

If you notice that a crow has captured a squirrel, the first thing you want to do is distract it by clapping your hands or making loud noises. 

Once the crow has lost interest in the squirrel, you can scare away the squirrel to escape and hide.
You can also find something like a hose or bucket and throw water at the fighting dual. This will scare both creatures away and give the squirrel time to jump and escape.

How Much Do Crows Eat Per Day?

Crows are omnivores, which means they eat various plants and animals. Adult crows can eat between 5 and 11 ounces of food per day. 

When nesting season approaches, they gather in large numbers (a group of crows is called a murder) to scavenge food, roost, and protect themselves from predators. 

A murder of crows can consume 40,000 grubs per day, including armyworms, caterpillars, rodents, and others.

Do Crows Attack and Eat other Rodents?

Crows are opportunistic feeders, meaning they’ll consume any food they come across. 

Besides squirrels, crows also hunt various small animals, like mice, rats, snakes, frogs, insects, and invertebrates. They also consume carrion (animals that are already died).

Crows are very intelligent and often can be seen preying on other birds’ eggs, nestlings, or even adult birds when an opportunity presents itself.

What other Birds Prey on Squirrels?

Squirrels are often preyed on by other predator birds like:

• Bald eagles
• Northern goshawks
• Great grey owls
• Sharp-shinned hawks
• Red-tailed hawks
• American kestrels
• Cooper’s hawks
• Northern harriers
• Great horned owls
• Red-shouldered hawks

Squirrels are hunted by other animals, such as foxes, coyotes, snakes, weasels, and even domestic cats and dogs.