Never thought I'd see this

[Napper]

This morning there is a dead bird under my feeder. The only thing back there were 4 squirrels.

It lay there for a while and then this happened :?:






It sat there for 5 minutes or so chewing on it. I did some checking on the net and it appears that the little beasts have adapted to eat just about anything including this house finch.  It  is still carrying it around the tree as I type. :shock:  :?:

Napper :?

[Joe]

Interesting!  I almost wish they'd eat the birds instead of the bird seed I put out.  I read (on this forum I believe) that someone puts hot pepper flakes in with the bird seed.  The birds don't taste it, and the squirrels hate it.  Is this common? Ethical? Safe for birds?  Any other tips for keeping the squirrels away.  I bought a baffle, but it's a joke to the acrobats in my yard.

Joe

[Napper]

I don't believe it..  The little beast consumed the bird.. Then climbed down the tree and checked the feathers on the ground....for more



Unreal  :shock:

Napper

[bird_guy]

You can't put hot pepper in bird feed in temperatures below 10 to 15 degrees C. It's ok down south but up here, it will cause a steady decline in bird populations around the feeder. Birds are very sensitive to temperature changes, and in our climates they will die of hypothermia.

It's ok with raptor food where their body temps are constantly regulated at high temps (e.g. bald eagles 107 degrees F). But most songbirds will eventually die over the winter from this. Birds like Chickadees and Hummingbirds are some of the most sensitive to internal temperature regulation. I am trying to find a study that was done on this in the U.S. a couple of years ago.

[Axeman]

I believe it...gray squirrels are opportunistic feeders...try throwing table scraps out your kitchen door...now my beef with them is that they are aggressive and outcompete red squirrels...where I live (Ayton, ON) we have red squirrels which I am fond of watching...and recently there has been a black phased gray in the neighbourhood...

[Dr. John]

I know squirrels will feed on nestlings and eggs, so feeding on an adult corpse makes sense.

-John