BRUTAL Ways Birds Eat Other Birds

BRUTAL Ways Birds Eat Other Birds

 

Birds are beautiful creatures and they are often hunted by larger and more vicious predators out there. But you may be surprised to learn that some of those birds are fearless predators and can act violently instinctually. You know that they hunt smaller animals and insects but did you know they will also hunt other birds? Things can get pretty gruesome as it is horrifying to see a bird eating another bird. However, they do not eat their own kind, like this Shrike eating a sparrow or this pelican eating another bird by swallowing it whole, In this video, we’ll see some brutal moments of birds eating other birds.

A quick question for you: Which birds are called "birds of prey"? let us know in the comments below and watch till the end to find out if your answer is correct.

 

Shrike

Sometimes even the smallest and cutest members of the animal kingdom can turn out to be some of the most ruthless killers of all. Take for instance the shrike. It's no secret that shrikes are formidable predators. They attack their victims from behind by biting at the base of the skull. Pretty gruesome right? Well, that's not all. Then, they impale their prey's body on a spiky branch as if it's a toothpick!

Let's have a look at this video clip. Here you can see a Shrike that belongs to the great grey shrike family having its midday snack. The shrike can be seen sitting on a thorny branch with another bird's body impaled onto the torn to hold the food while it devours the carcass. When the prey is impaled it is easier for the shrike to rip it apart without using much force. While trying to reach the prey's fresh meat you can clearly see how violently it pulls its feather. Shrike truly is a true horror in a small package.

So…you still think shrikes are cute?

 

Pelicans

Pelicans are large water birds known for their scooping mouth pouch used to catch fish in the water. They have larger bills than any other birds in the world. Pelican's diet is entirely meat, firmly identifying them as a carnivore, and predators that primarily feed on fish and gather most of their caloric needs from or near the ocean. Other than fish, they also eat birds as you can see in this clip. A couple of pelicans walking around in a park and one of them seems in the need of food. Luckily a group of pigeons is also nearby and before they know it this hungry pelican has grabbed one in its bill. As you can see, the pigeon is still alive and fighting for its life in the pelican's gular sack. Pelicans have strong beaks so it is nearly impossible for the pigeon to get out of its grip. Head first is the best way for a pelican to swallow its prey without any problem but the pigeon is still alive so it is turning out to be a bit difficult for the pelican. But in the end, it managed to get the pigeon down its throat, Alive.

 

Giant Petrel

The Giant Petrel is one of the iconic Antarctic seabirds. They are aggressive feeders, and they will hunt for food both onshore and out at sea. On land, they can be aggressive hunters of unprotected chicks, as well as sick or dead adult animals, particularly penguins. They will often brutally kill the chicks either by deliberately drowning them or beating them to death. Check out this ruthless moment when a giant petrel is eating a baby penguin while it is still alive. Look how fast they can be while eating their prey – and how their brutality is matchless.

 

Seagull

Seagulls are often called "the rats of the sky". These raucous birds are aggressive scavengers and are known for harassing people and animals that have the temerity to eat on their patch. This is a horrific clip of a bloodthirsty seagull mauling a poor pigeon to death. After bashing it against the pavement a few more times, the seagull hurls the pigeon into the air and opens its beak. It then jerks its body up and down as it tries to swallow the bird in uncomfortable scenes. It even swallows the bird's wings and feet after opening its throat and jaw as wide as possible. Now, this is a horrifying sight to see.

 

Skua

Skuas often take up camp around large seabird colonies like penguin rookeries. Mainly they feed on fish, birds and carrion. At sea they eat mostly fish, particularly species like sand lance which gather in dense schools.

Around breeding colonies they often prey heavily on smaller seabirds, including puffins and penguin, and eat eggs and chicks of many species.

This Skua waits near the nest of penguins for an opportunity while they sit on their chicks trying to protect them from this intruder. But in a split second the skua attacks and steals the chick under the penguin from its nest. It was so fast the penguin does not know what to do. Just look how fast it ate the chick - and even now it still looks hungry.

 

Bluejay

Blue Jays are known to take and eat eggs and nestlings of other birds but most of their diet is composed of insects and nuts. Blue jays can be very aggressive toward other birds; they sometimes raid nests and have decapitated other birds. Look at this gruesome clip. In it, a bluejay is standing on another smaller bird, which looks like a sparrow. The poor bird looks like it's struggling but the mission the bluejay is on is to eat it. By holding it down with its body weight the bluejay starts pecking it mercilessly. You can see feathers torn from small birds all around while the bluejay continues to open its chest for fresh meat. As you can see, this entire ordeal is happening in the middle of the road. Passing cars scare off the bluejay but the poor bird is far too injured to do anything but lay there in pain. The bluejay comes back when the cars are gone and continues pecking the bird and, in the end, it grabs the bird and flies away to enjoy its meal in some place quieter.

 

It's time to answer the question, Birds of prey, also known as raptors, are meat eaters that use their feet, instead of their beaks, to capture prey. They have exceptionally good vision, a sharp, hooked beak, and powerful feet with curved, sharp talons. Some examples of prey include falcons, hawks, eagles, and vultures. Seagulls or Pelicans are not Birds of prey as they do not belong to the raptor family.

So, did you answer correctly? Moving on to our bird of prey, we have a hawk.

 

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawks are primarily bird hunters. They generally hunt small- to medium-sized birds, including doves, quail, and woodpeckers. They may also feed on mice and squirrels, and less often on snakes.

In this next clip, we get to witness the powerful feet of a coopers hawk. This hawk is standing on  top of a crow. Normally, crows are the scary ones. But this time, you can see how its feet are on the crow’s neck while it pecks the crow's feathers to reach the meaty part and make it easier for the hawk to enjoy its meal.

 

Heron

The black-headed heron is a wading bird of the heron family. It often feeds in shallow water, spearing fish or frogs with its long, sharp bill. It will also hunt well away from water, taking large insects, small mammals, and birds.

Here is a rare and special sighting of a black-headed heron catching birds at a watering hole. This is something you might never see them do again. This black-headed heron is surrounded by many small birds, it lay low and does not make a lot of movements while the birds around it keep minding their business. Out of patience, the heron gets up and attacks one of the birds and misses it, but on the second try it was able to grab a bird by its neck. The bird flaps its wings around to try to get themselves free from that deadly beak, but it was too late. The heron tosses it around and gets its head in its mouth and devours it. That is sure one brutal attack.

Check this other clip of this heron holding a duckling in its beak. The duckling is being held by its small head, and after holding it for some time, the heron begins to toss the duckling into its mouth. And all that while the poor duckling is alive and struggling for its life. The heron manages to get the duckling’s head into its beak, waits for a second and then in an instant tosses its head back and slips the duckling down its throat smoothly.