24 Animals that Eat Crows (List with Pictures)

Examples of animals that eat crows include snakes, hawks, foxes, squirrels, and raccoons.

In the wild, a variety of predators will take down a crow including hawks, owls, and eagles. Domestic cats and dogs are also known to enjoy eating crows. It’s not clear why these birds are such popular prey items, but they seem to be especially vulnerable when they’re roosting in large numbers.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of these animals. We’ll also explore why crows make such tasty prey, and we’ll talk about the strategies that these predators use to catch them.

What Eats Crows?

1. Bald Eagles

Bald eagles are one of the most well-known predators of crows. These powerful birds of prey can take down crows with ease, thanks to their sharp talons and beaks. Bald eagles typically hunt in pairs, which gives them a significant advantage when attacking crows.

When hunting crows, bald eagles will often perch in a tree and wait for their prey to fly by. They will then swoop down and snag the crow with their talons. Once they have a hold of the crow, they will typically kill it by crushing its skull.

Related Article: Are Bald Eagles Arctic?

2. Blue Jays

One of the most common predators of crows is the blue jay. Blue jays are a type of songbird, and they are known for their striking blue plumage. They are found in North America, and they typically eat small mammals, insects, and Seeds. However, they will also occasionally eat crow eggs and Nestlings.

Related Article: Does Blue Jays Have Two Legs?

3. Cooper’s Hawks

Another common predators of crows is the Cooper’s hawk. This bird of prey is found throughout North America, and it specializes in hunting small to medium-sized birds. The Cooper’s hawk has long legs and sharp talons, which it uses to kill its prey. It also has a hooked beak that is perfect for tearing flesh. When a Cooper’s hawk spots a crow, it will swoop down on it from above and grab it with its talons. The crow will then be killed by the hawk’s powerful beak.

Read Also: Hawk vs Vulture

4. Dogs

While most dogs are content to chase crows and bark at them, there are some breeds that will actually kill and eat them. The most common type of crow-hunting dog is the hound. Hounds are bred for hunting, and they have a strong instinct to chase down their prey. Beagles, foxhounds, and bloodhounds are all types of hounds that have been known to kill crows.

5. Domestic Cats

One of the most common predators of crows is the domestic cat. Cats will typically kill crows for sport, rather than for food. While a crow may be too large to eat in one sitting, a cat will often take small bites out of its prey before leaving it behind. This behaviour is known as “toying” with prey, and it’s something that cats do for fun.

6. Eastern Gray Squirrels

The eastern gray squirrel, in particular, is known to target crows. These squirrels will wait until a crow is close by and then they will jump out and attack it. The squirrel will bite the crow’s neck and head, causing fatal wounds.

Related Article: Do Squirrels Eat Mushroom?

7. Falcons

Falcons are one of the main predators of crows. These birds of prey use their sharp talons to catch and kill crows in mid-flight. Falcons typically hunt alone, but they will sometimes team up with other raptors to take down larger prey. In North America, the most common type of falcon that preys on crows is the Peregrine Falcon.

Related Article: Do Falcon Have Wings?

8. Garter Snakes

Garter snakes normally don’t hunt fully grown crows but rather eat the young ones and eggs of crows. The baby crows, which are called nestlings, make up a large part of the garter snake’s diet. These snakes will wait near crow nests and strike when the nestlings are vulnerable. The snakes will then coil around the nestlings and crush them. Once the prey is immobilized, the snake will swallow it whole.

9. Golden Eagles

Golden eagles are large birds of prey that can be found in many parts of the world, including North America and Europe. They typically hunt small mammals like rabbits and ground squirrels, but they will also take birds, including crows. When hunting crows, golden eagles will either swoop down on them from the air or ambush them from a hidden perch. Once they have their prey in their talons, they will carry it off to a nearby tree or cliff where they will eat it.

Related Article: Do Eagle Eat Cats?

10. Grackles

Grackles will raid the nest of crows and eat the crow chicks. They are also known to eat crow eggs.

11. Great Horned Owls

One of the most common predators of crows is the great horned owl. These owls are large birds of prey, and they have sharp talons and beaks that they use to kill their prey. Great horned owls typically hunt at night, and they will often perch in a tree near a crow roost. When the crows take off in the morning to look for food, the owls will swoop down and attack.

12. Harpy Eagle

The Harpy Eagle is a massive bird of prey that lives in the rain forests of Central and South America. These eagles are incredibly powerful, and they have been known to kill monkeys and sloths with their talons. While they will eat other animals, crows make up a significant portion of their diet.

Harpy Eagles hunt by perching in a tree and waiting for their prey to come within range. When they see a crow, they will swoop down and snatch it up with their powerful talons. Once they have the crow in their grasp, they will fly back to their perch and eat it.

13. Humans

Humans are perhaps the most common predator of crows. In many cultures, crows are considered to be pests or nuisances, and they are often killed as a result. In some cases, crows are even hunted for sport. In addition, many people eat crow meat on a regular basis. Crow meat is considered to be tough and gamey, but it is still eaten by some.

14. Kingbirds

These medium-sized birds are some of the most common crow predators. They’re known for their aggressive hunting behavior, and they will often chase crows until the crow tires and can be easily caught.

Read Also: Can Kingbirds be Black & White?

15. Long-Eared Owls

These owls have ear tufts that make them look like they’re always listening. They hunt at night, and they use their excellent hearing to locate their prey. Long-eared owls will eat just about anything, but they seem to prefer small mammals like moles and voles. They will also take birds, including crows.

Related Article: Do Eared-Owl Have Ears?

16. Opossums

Opossums are opportunistic feeders, which means that they will eat just about anything they can get their hands on. This includes small mammals, reptiles, birds, and even carrion (dead animals). In fact, opossums are so good at scavenging that they will often raid crow nests in order to eat the eggs.

Opossums don’t actually kill crows directly. Instead, they will wait for the crows to die from other causes (such as disease or injury) and then eat them. This may seem like a strange way to go about things, but it’s actually quite effective. By waiting for the crows to die, the opossums don’t have to expend any energy hunting them down.

Related Article: Do Opossum Eat Ticks?

17. Osprey

The osprey is a raptor, or bird of prey, that specializes in hunting and eating fish. However, the osprey will also opportunistically hunt other animals, including crows. Ospreys typically hunt by swooping down on their prey from above and then grabbing it with their sharp talons. Once they have a crow in their grasp, they will carry it back to their nest and tear it apart with their beak.

18. Pampas Foxes

These foxes are found in South America, and they have a taste for crows. They will often hunt in pairs, using their teamwork to take down a crow. Once they’ve killed their prey, they will stash the body in a hidden spot and eat it later.

19. Raccoons

Raccoons are one of the most common predators of crows. They will typically hunt crows at night, when the birds are roosting in trees. Raccoons will climb the tree and then snatch the crow from its perch. Once they have a hold of the crow, they will kill it by biting its neck.

20. Ravens

While they may look similar, ravens and crows are actually two different species of bird. Ravens are larger than crows, and they have a more robust build. Ravens also have longer wings, which give them greater maneuverability in the air. This is important because ravens are one of the main predators of crows.

Ravens hunt crows by flying high above them and then swooping down to attack. Their sharp talons can easily kill a crow, and their powerful beaks can tear the bird’s flesh. Ravens will also sometimes team up with other ravens to hunt crows. This tactic is known as mobbing, and it’s an effective way to take down larger prey.

21. Red Foxes

One of the most common animals that prey on crows is the red fox. Red foxes are found all over North America, Europe, and Asia. They’re small but powerful predators, and they’re expert hunters.

22. Red-Tailed Hawks

One of the most common predators of crows is the red-tailed hawk. These large birds of prey are very adept at hunting crows, and they will often perch in trees or on telephone poles, scanning the ground for their next meal. When they spot a crow, they will dive down and snatch it up with their powerful talons.

23. Red-Winged Blackbirds

These birds are some of the most common predators of crows. They will often eat hatchlings and crow eggs.

24. Sharp-Shinned Hawks

These hawks are small but ferocious hunters, and they have been known to take down birds as large as crows. Sharp-shinned hawks typically hunt in wooded areas, so they often come into contact with crows while both birds are looking for food.

While sharp-shinned hawks will eat other birds, crows are actually their preferred prey. This is because crows are relatively easy to catch, and they provide a lot of meat. Sharp-shinned hawks will typically attack crows from behind, so the crow doesn’t see them coming.

Conclusion

Crows are often hunted by predators because they compete with them for food. Domestic cats, dogs, and other animals will typically kill crows for sport or out of instinct to protect their own territory.

However, there are a number of birds that will eat crow eggs or hunt the bird itself: blue jays, bald eagles, great horned owls, and red-tailed hawks are all known to do so. In addition, crows will sometimes fall prey to larger animals such as foxes, coyotes, and weasels.

Garreth

Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.