Wild birds page

[SixteenDollars]

Not sure if I'm ever going to do this, but when I go back home to visit my family (out in the sticks) there are plenty of wild animals, such as squirrels, black birds and robins, etc. Would these wild caught animals be healthy for consumption? I would assume that a wild caught bird that has access to bugs and worms would be pretty healthy as far as Omega-3 ratios go and whatnot. Any thoughts on this? Not sure if would have the heart to kill a song bird, but just wondering.

[cori93437]

Some Europeans have a history of eating eat small birds, as well as Asians.

In America you'd probably be doing a good thing by eating European House sparrows and Starlings as they displace native birds. They can both be caught by trap rather than hunting. Sparrows seems so small that it might be best to for go them, or maybe use for soup? But Starlings are larger and definitely edible and are likely the famed "black birds baked in a pie".

You should be careful with the sparrows as to proper identification... and native songbirds are protected. I wouldn't eat them.

[dragonmamma]

I can't imagine that there would be enough meat on a songbird to even try.

[Primal Moose]

I do it all the time. Just a few small points.

Make sure you have a hunting license if you need one in your state. In some states, you can kill varmints (ground squirrels, jack rabbits, etc) without a license, but need landowners permission.

Don't go for rabbits this time of year. Traditionally rabbits are only killed in months ending in "r". During the rest of the year, there's more of a chance for worms and parasites to be growing, can't eat them if they are infested.

Personally, I stay away from ground squirrels. If I was starving, I'd chance it. But normally, I won't take the chance. To much of a chance of things like bubonic plague from their fleas. Tree squirrels are different though.

Lastly, it does depend on what they've been eating. I know it's the sticks, but if they've been snacking on GMO corn or if farmers have been dropping poison pellets in the fields for squirrels, could all affect the quality of the meat. From tasting off to being downright poisonness.

[cori93437]

It's all about numbers. If you have an established bird feeding area in some parts of North America it would be easy to trap upwards of a score of the little devils per day.
No hunting license is necessary for trapping invasive species.

But native song birds are pretty strictly prohibited.

It's actually legal to trap squirrels in your own yard in many cities... for the non-rural who might want to venture into small game. And they are usually fat from bird seed and lack of competition for acorns/nuts/berries if you live in an area of town away from restaurants where they'd be snatching bread and fries. Squirrels in large older subdivisions are prime eating.

[PrimalPotter]

Birds, except for larger "game" birds, are mostly feathers. You probably could eat them, but it would be an awful lot of work for not much meat. You're right. We have enough things decimating the songbird population without you killing them, too.

Squirrels certainly are edible, but I wonder if there are diseases associated with eating squirrel, like tularemia in rabbits. And before you hunt any wildlife make sure it's legal to do so.