6 birds that eat wasps

Of all the insects in the animal kingdom, few are as terrifying to humans as wasps. Wasps make up a very diverse group of insects; at present, scientists have identified about 30,000 species. While most of them pose little threat to humans other than a painful bite, some of them carry a lethal amount of toxin. As a result, many people fear wasps, especially those with allergies or other medical conditions. To rid their yards and living quarters of wasps, many people use chemical repellents and traps. While these traps are sometimes effective, they don’t always work, and many of them contain substances that are harmful to the environment. Fortunately, there are a number of natural ways to reduce the number of wasps. The best methods for scaring away wasps are the abundance of birds that eat wasps.

In this article, we’ll highlight some of the birds that most commonly hunt wasps as part of their regular diet. We’ll also discuss where these birds can be found and what they look like so you can identify them. Hopefully next time you have a backyard barbecue one of these birds will be nearby. This way, there will be no wasp on your grill while you enjoy your well-deserved meal in peace. So let’s get started and discuss 6 different birds that eat wasps.

# 6: black-capped tit

The black-capped tit is a small songbird from the Paridae tit family. Unlike many other songbirds, the titmouse does not migrate. Instead, it lives year round in the forests of Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States. They can tolerate cold weather due to their ability to reduce metabolism and body temperature in winter. On average, they are 4.7 to 5.9 inches long and have short, rounded wings and a long tail. Black-capped tits get their name from the black plumage on the head and neck. Meanwhile, they have white feathers on their cheeks and breasts, golden sides, and black and white wings. Their diet consists mainly of insects, and they are among the birds that eat wasps in large quantities. In winter, they resort to cached seeds and insects. They have an amazing memory and can remember the location of the cache for almost a month.

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# 5: Northern Mockingbird

The northern mockingbird is a mockingbird from the family Mimidae, commonly found in North America. Although its habitat varies, the northern mockingbird usually prefers to live in open areas. You can often find them in urban and suburban areas, as well as grasslands, parks, and sparsely forested areas. The northern mockingbird, known for its ability to mimic, can learn to mimic up to 200 individual sounds. In fact, its scientific name, Multilingual Mimus, translated as “multilingual thrush”. Typically they are 8.1 to 11 inches long and have a wingspan of 12 to 15 inches. They have a light gray top, white bottom, and black and white wing markings. Northern mockingbirds are omnivores and eat a variety of insects, fruits, and seeds. However, you can find these birds eating wasps, often raiding wasp nests in search of larvae.

# 4: common blackbird

The common blackbird, also known as the Eurasian blackbird, is a member of the Turdidae family of thrush. Despite its name, it bears little resemblance to the New World blackbirds of the Icteridae family. The common blackbird is found in Europe, Russia, North Africa, parts of Australia and New Zealand. They usually breed in forested areas, but they also build their cupped nests in suburban parks and gardens. Male Thrushes appear completely black with the exception of the yellow rings around the eyes and the hooked yellow beak. Due to their distinctive appearance, they feature prominently in many children’s poems, fairy tales and cultural traditions. Their diet consists of insects, worms, seeds and berries, although they also eat small amphibians and mammals. Of the birds that eat wasps, common thrush deliberately hunt down and destroy the hornets’ nest. Before eating the wasp, they can drag it along the ground to remove the sting.

# 3: Blue Jay

The blue jay is a member of the family of crows, jays, magpies, rooks and ravens Corvidae. It is found in forested areas in southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. However, this is a common occurrence in residential and suburban areas. On average, they are 9 to 12 inches long and have a visible crown on their head. As the name suggests, the blue jay has both light and dark blue plumage on its back, head, and wings. Meanwhile, his face and lower half appear white. Blue jays can be quite aggressive and will attack other birds if they invade their territory. Although they mainly eat seeds, berries, nuts, and grains, blue jays will also target insects. In particular, blue jays hunt and eat wasps. Although they cannot fly fast, they will quickly deal with the nest and will eat any larvae inside.

# 2: common starling

Also known as European starling, common starling or simply starling, it is a member of the Sturnidae family of starlings. Native to Europe, Asia and Africa, you can now find common starlings in the Americas and Australia. They average 7.5 to 9 inches in length with a wingspan of 12 to 17 inches. Their characteristic iridescent black plumage can appear purple or green, depending on the lighting. They can be quite noisy, especially when they spend the night in large numbers in winter. The largest perches can contain up to 1.5 million birds. Common starlings mainly feed on insects such as spiders, flies, bees, beetles, and ants. They are also one of the wasp-eating birds, and specifically target their nests for their larvae. Whether on the ground or in the air, common starlings will quickly deal with any wasps they come across.

# 1: yellow-billed magpie

The yellow-billed magpie belongs to the Corvidae family together with the blue jay. It can only be found in the state of California and is therefore listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. In particular, yellow-billed magpies inhabit the foothills and mountains surrounding the Central Valley. Known for their sociability, yellow-billed magpies live together and can be quite sociable. In fact, when a member of the roost dies, other members may congregate around its body and “cry.” Yellow-billed magpies have a black head, back and neck, white underparts and black wings. They can be distinguished from black-billed magpies by their characteristic yellow beak. They eat a wide variety of foods, including seeds and nuts, but mainly eat insects. Yellow-billed magpies love to eat wasps and happily eat both adults and larvae.