Do Pigeons Eat Ants? All You Need To Know

Do Pigeons Eat Ants?

Being a granivorous birds, pigeons are sometimes supplemented with insects such as ants in their diet.

Wild Pigeons vs Domesticated Pigeons

There is a difference between wild pigeons and domesticated pigeons and what they eat totally depends on the type of pigeon. The bird owners control the diet of domesticated pigeons and their food mix.

A pigeon needs vitamins that is the reason they should be served with food mix or a proprietary feed. Pigeons are considered as the opportunistic and unfussy eaters that can pick anything that is edible from wild food to discarded human food.

The diet of wild pigeon will totally depend on their habitats and area of living rural or urban. The variety of pigeon that is feral woodland will have a greater variety of insects as compared to domesticated birds.

Ants as Pigeon Food

Ants are not that special food for pigeons. Pigeons seek out in favor of foods such as seeds and grains. But if the ants are found in large numbers, it is easy to obtain and treat.

Pigeons are mostly found eating a number and variety of different insects which are very small in size and are found in the wild. And that includes:

Beetles
Flies
Aphids
Grasshoppers
Crickets

The example of smallest insects that a pigeon will eat are ants. That is why birds rely too much on ants as their sole source of nutrition out in the wild.

If the ants are found in large numbers near the nest. This depicts the design of pigeon`s beak. Ants are the easy target in terms of their speed and hunt them depending on the type of ant. A pigeon can sometimes pick up the insect comfortably and that to a small target.

But Are Ants Nutritious?

There are a number of species that have their own nutritional make-up depending upon the age, diet and habitat. But according to various studies, it has been seen that ants are high in proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Entomophagists are the one that eat the ants.

The main minerals that are important for the pigeon`s diet are minerals, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. These nutrients should be given in sufficient amount. The pigeon`s diet consists of

Seeds
Grains
Nuts

It has been seen that feral pigeons are more likely to eat ants as compared to domesticated pigeons. Ants are supplements that are provided by pigeon owners. Moreover, they prefer to add things like chopped up vegetables, fruits and even popcorn for supplements and snacks.

Why Pigeons Eat Ants?

In nutshell, pigeons are more likely to eat ants. The small insects are not the first item that birds want to prefer. But they will grab when the pigeon is hungry and ants are in vicinity. The ants don’t provide any notable nutrition for pigeons. The opportunistic feeding dictates the feral pigeon`s diet.