Insect Eaters Once in a while I get lucky while photographing birds. If the timing is right, I succeed in snapping an image at precisely the right moment — after a bird has caught an insect, but before gulping it down. For example, here’s a Brown Thrasher with his catch … Insect-eating birds eat a lot of insects every day. They will eat just about anything — beetles, slugs, mosquitos, worms, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, as well as larval stages. Brown Thrashers specialize in ground-dwelling insects, finding them by thrashing around dead leaves and debris underneath trees and shrubs. Here’s a juvenile thrasher with a mouthful of grasshopper… And another juvenile thrasher with what appears to be a spider… Another species that forages in the ground for a meal, is the American Robin. Worms seem to be their favorites, although they will eat whatever insects cross their paths, as well as berries and fruits. Robins are remarkably adapted to locate an earthworm underground. Using their keen eyesight, they can spot the end of a worm as it pokes out of the soil. They can also spot slight changes as worms move below the surface. When you see a robin cock its head to the side, it’s turning one eye to look more closely at the ground… With their well-tuned sense of hearing, robins can hear worms or other insects as they move about, even beneath the ground. When a worm is found, the hungry robin will strike, then hold its prey momentarily before swallowing it whole. The European Starling is another species that finds insects in the soil. They walk around open areas, poking their beaks into the ground. As they forage around, they will make a hole, then open their beaks to enlarge it. This makes spotting insects a bit easier. Northern Mockingbirds are primarily insect eaters. Here’s one individual, who caught a flying insect and held onto it while I snapped photographs. Then he flew away to eat in private… The Gray Catbird is another bird that’s fond of eating insects… But berries are also tasty… Woodpeckers hunt for insects by pecking into wood and drilling holes with their powerful bills. Apparently, they are also equipped to hear insects chew even when out of sight. Here’s a Red-headed Woodpecker about to eat a grasshopper… This Red-bellied Woodpecker found something that might be edible… Swallows have a different method for catching insects. They feed by flying with their mouths wide open and scooping up airborne insects. Although their bills are very small, they can open them extra-wide (as shown in this awesome photo taken by Roman Klimenko)… Most birds simply swallow their food whole, tipping their heads back so the food moves to the back of the throat for swallowing. Sometimes they have to break it up into bite-sized bits. I wonder how this grackle managed to eat the lizard he caught… Something to think about… Does the early bird really catch the worm? This seems like an odd topic to inspire philosophical thought and even poetry. But if you think about it… Want to see another unusual post about birds? Check these out… Lessons in Survival from a One-Legged Jay >>Fence Sitters >>Coastal Lawn Ornaments >>Night Stalker of the Boardwalk >> Please follow and like: Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Post navigation A Dove’s NestOwl’s Nest: Part 3