Last updated on October 9th, 2022
Raccoons eat bird eggs because they’re omnivorous and opportunistic feeders.
Raccoons are excellent climbers who can steal eggs from a bird’s nest especially when they have suitable footholds to climb. However, they’ve been known to raid chicken coops and bird-feeding stations as well.
I woke up to the squawking of birds in my backyard. I switched the lights on my backyard porch and saw a raccoon slinking away from my porch.
I was taken aback because I did know that raccoons attack birds. A friend who works as an animal photographer told me raccoons are known to steal bird’s eggs.
Why do raccoons eat bird eggs?
Raccoons are scavengers, and they are known to hunt for food everywhere.
You will often find raccoons looking through dustbins and garbage dumps in search of food.
However, when it comes to birds, raccoons are known to look for eggs because they are defenseless.
Raccoons will hunt or steal bird’s eggs when the parents are absent.
They will steal the eggs and run off to another location where they will break open the eggs to consume their contents.
Do raccoons eat raw eggs?
Absolutely yes! Raccoons steal eggs from the nests of birds and eat the contents inside.
But if you have discarded cooked eggs in your dustbin and then in the nearest garbage dump, these will disappear in the morning.
Raccoons have an excellent sense of smell. They can identify the eggs that they can consume even in garbage dumps.
They will overturn the waste to gain access to the eggs.
Can raccoons eat the eggs of robins?
Robins are known to build nests relatively high in trees and the upper parts of buildings.
You would not expect raccoons to reach nests that are built higher up.
But sometimes, if they can get suitable footholds, you will find that raccoons can climb relatively high.
This makes it easy for them to reach the nests of robins.
Can a raccoon eat a nestling?
A nestling is almost as helpless and defenseless as an egg. Hence, if the baby bird is left unprotected or falls out of its nest, it can be attacked by a raccoon.
If you want to protect your backyard birds from raccoon attacks, one of the best ways to ensure it is to keep your garden clean.
The second factor is to check the garden for any nestlings; if a baby bird has fallen out, try to put it back in its nest.
Try using a ladder but if you cannot put it back, see if you can care for it and protect it at home.
When do raccoons steal eggs?
Raccoons are naturally nocturnal, meaning they will look for eggs at night.
They’re known to identify the location of the nests and will come looking for eggs when the parent birds are absent.
Sometimes the raccoons are known to frighten the birds before stealing the eggs.
As a result, you won’t find raccoons looking as much for eggs during the day as at night.
Can you protect your backyard bird eggs from raccoon attacks?
According to my friend, there are quite a few things that you can do to reduce raccoon attacks and protect the bird’s eggs.
The first thing you can do is reduce the amount of garbage you keep outside overnight.
Garbage attracts raccoons; they can discover the bird’s nest while exploring the dustbin.
If the nest has eggs, the raccoon will target the eggs and look for suitable occasions to steal the eggs.
Will lessening the feed in a birdfeeder reduce raccoon attacks?
Raccoons are known to steal food from bird feeders.
If possible, you should also reduce the bird’s feed you keep outside. Raccoons are known to attack the birdfeed since it indicates that there can be birds’ nests in the vicinity.
So, to protect your backyard birds, keep the garden and backyard free of garbage and less food in the birdfeeder.
Is there a way to keep raccoons away from your garden?
You can keep raccoons away from your garden, and here too, eggs have an essential role to play.
According to the website Allium Fields, they mention egg shells can be used to make excellent compost, and it is a natural deterrent for raccoons.
Add egg shells to your compost if you enjoy gardening and want to keep raccoons away from your vegetable patch.
You will find that raccoons are avoiding your garden. This will protect your vegetable garden and your backyard birds.
Can raccoons hunt?
Raccoons cannot hunt because they are scavengers. These creatures are opportunistic feeders, and they will eat whatever they can find.
Their favorite foods are nuts, seeds, fruits, eggs, insects, frogs, and crayfish.
But rarely will you find a raccoon hunting a live frog and consuming it. Raccoons will usually eat dead and decaying food and animals.
Occasionally, a raccoon will catch a young mouse, rat, or squirrel.
What do raccoons do during the day?
Raccoons will spend a great deal of time seeking shelter in spaces like abandoned cars, sewerage canals, and attics.
They will venture out at night in search of food.
Other than eggs, what else are raccoons known to eat?
Raccoons are scavengers who will look for suitable food in the dustbins.
They will quickly remove unnecessary items from the garbage to find edible food.
Raccoons eat nuts, seeds, fruits, eggs, insects, frogs, and crayfish.
Is there any other animal that eats bird eggs?
There are quite a few animals that eat bird eggs and you can read more about them in that article.
Animals like snakes and squirrels are known to steal birds’ eggs.
Among these, you will typically not find snakes in your garden. But squirrels can easily steal eggs from the nests of birds.
You would typically associate squirrels with eating nuts, but as they are omnivores, they can eat birds’ eggs.
