White-tailed deer shown to raid nests, eat eggs and baby birds, USGS reports

The Times-Picayune ^ | 3-6-15 | Todd Masson

[SJackson]

Seeing fewer quail on your hunting lease? Maybe it's time you stop pointing the finger at coyotes, raccoons and fire ants and place the blame on your murderous herd of white-tailed deer.

Believe it or not, researchers have discovered deer will raid the happy homes of ground-nesting birds and enjoy a nice breakfast of eggs or fledglings.

Pam Pietz, a wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in North Dakota, set up miniature video cameras that ran 24 hours a day to document the fate of grassland songbird nests, according to the USGS.

She was surprised to find deer raided as many nests as badgers, and more than weasels or red foxes.

Ah, but maybe the deer were simply eating the tasty forbs around the nest, and the baby birds just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not likely, Pietz said. She pointed to a research project in Canada where songbirds were captured in above-ground mist nets. Wild deer walked up to the nets and gobbled up the easy prey.

[SJackson]

If you’d like to be on or off this Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting/hiking/backpacking/National Parks/animals list please FR mail me. And ping me is you see articles of interest.

Deer are occasional meat eaters, no surprise they eat eggs. And baby birds are cute and probably tasty, like baby deer.

[gundog]

Add me to the list, please. I’d heard of elk eating grouse eggs. Why not deer?

[cripplecreek]

Lots of herbivores will eat meat if its easy.

[Darksheare]

It was the coffee.

[VictoryGal]

There’s a solution for this: a well-aimed gun and some deer-dressing knives. Venison for dinner!

[Fungi]

I once saw, and could not believe, a brown squirrel catch an English sparrow and devour it in seconds flat. The animal really enjoyed the meal.

[USMCPOP]

In the winter, deer will eat plants that are not palatable and even somewhat poisonous. No surprise here.

[MountainYankee]

I read an article a long time ago that told of a woodsman who witnessed a buck deer catching and eating small trout from a mountain stream. The article referenced the White Tail Deer as having extraordinary survival capabilities. I don’t doubt this story about raiding the bird nests. Very interesting. I have never seen a deer eat anything but herbivore fare, but, anything is possible.

[Kirkwood]

I was watching a squirrel today try repeatedly to catch a bird. I grabbed the camera in case the bird flew off with a squirrel on its back.

[BigEdLB]

Deer and omelets? Hmm?

[Daffynition]

[McGruff]

Not Bambi!!!

[meatloaf]

Is that the fish eating deer?

[Daffynition]

Heh.

[Sybeck1]

Rats with antlers

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Rats with hooves.

[exDemMom]

Well... I used to have a bunny, and I caught him raiding the cat food. It is not unheard-of for herbivores to eat the occasional meat meal.

[minnesota_bound]

No wonder Bambi’s mother was shot! Eating baby birds!

[Hot Tabasco]

That could help explain the declining numbers of pheasant here in Michigan.........