Do Crows Like Cashews? A Complete Guide

Crows are incredibly intelligent birds that have captured people’s fascination for centuries. Theirtool use and problem-solving abilities are remarkable among birds. But when it comes to their diet, many wonder – do crows like cashews?

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Most crows enjoy cashews and will readily eat them if given the opportunity. Cashews contain healthy fats and nutrients that appeal to crows.

An Overview of Crows and Their Diets

Crows are Omnivorous Birds

Crows belong to the genus Corvus and are incredibly intelligent omnivorous birds found all over the world. Their large brains relative to body size allow them to adapt readily to different environments in their search for sustenance.

Being omnivorous means crows have diverse tastes and flexible diets, consuming both plant and animal matter as it becomes available.

Crows Have Varied Diets

The diverse Corvus genus means different crow species have slightly different dietary preferences. For example, some prefer insects and small vertebrates like frogs, while others enjoy more seeds and fruit. However, the most general crow fare includes:

• Insects like beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers
• Spiders and centipedes
• Snails, crabs, mussels and other small invertebrates
• Rodents, small birds and bird eggs
• Reptiles and amphibians like small snakes and frogs
• Grains like corn, wheat and rice
• Fruits including berries and apples
• Seeds of trees and shrubs
• Human food waste products

Their ingenuity even leads them to recognize and follow sea otters to scavenge on cracked mollusks the otters leave behind!

Crows Forage for Many Kinds of Foods

Clever crows employ a wide variety of foraging methods to take advantage of many different food sources, including:

• Scavenging on carrion and human waste products
• Foraging through leaf litter and debris for insects
• Probing mud and sand for shellfish
• Plucking invertebrates from cow dung
• Gleaning waste grain from agricultural fields after harvest
• Deftly catching vertebrates like frogs and rodents
• Robbing songbird and raptor nests when parent birds are away
• Using tools to crack hard nuts and pull prey from crevices

Their curiosity and opportunism means very little escapes the watchful eye of clever crows endlessly searching for their next meal. This contributes to crows possessing such varied and flexible diets compared to many other bird species.

So do crows like cashews specifically? Their flexible tastes mean they likely wouldn’t turn their beaks up at an opportunity to snatch some cashews left unattended. However, cashews don’t form a major part of natural crow diets since they originate from tropical forests.

But crows might raid commercial crops or scavenge discarded cashews from human waste as a handy high-fat, high-protein bonus!

Do Crows Specifically Like to Eat Cashews?

Crows are intelligent birds that enjoy eating a variety of foods, including nuts like cashews. Here’s a deep dive into why crows specifically seem to like cashews and the benefits these nuts offer the birds.

Crows Enjoy the Taste and Texture of Nuts

Crows have a strong sense of taste and seem to enjoy the rich, buttery flavor of nuts like cashews, pecans, and almonds. The texture is also appealing – crows use their strong beaks to crack open the hard shell and access the soft, fatty meat inside.

This combination of taste and texture makes nuts an attractive food source.

Researchers have found that crows even hide or “cache” nuts to eat later. This shows advanced planning and indicates how much crows prize nuts as a food source. When given a choice, crows selectively pick nuts like cashews over less tasty or hard-to-crack foods.

Cashews Contain Beneficial Nutrients for Crows

Cashews offer a powerhouse of nutrition that supports crows’ health. Just a one-ounce serving of cashews contains 5 grams of protein – important for growth and feather development. Cashews also provide good fats for energy and vitamin absorption, as well as vitamins and minerals like copper, magnesium, zinc, iron, and selenium.

Additionally, the fat content of cashews makes them an excellent high-energy food. One ounce of cashews contains 157 calories and 12 grams of fat. Crows lead active lives and benefit from calorie-dense nuts to maintain their energy levels for flying, foraging, and more.

Finally, the zinc in cashews supports crows’ immune systems while the iron allows them to produce healthy blood cells. Overall, cashews’ nutritional profile makes them an ideal addition to crows’ diets.

Crows Have Been Observed Caching and Eating Cashews

Several scientific observations confirm that wild crows actively seek out and consume cashews as part of their natural diets.

For example, researchers in India have documented jungle crows caching cashews to save for later feedings. This shows that crows don’t just randomly eat cashews – they specifically recognize them as desirable.

Another study tested appetite and caching behavior in American crows by providing them with peanuts and cashews. The crows preferentially cached the cashews, suggesting they valued those nuts for future snacking.

Additionally, citizen scientists on the crowdsourced site eBird have submitted Wild bird sightings showing crows consuming cashews. Though anecdotal, this community data aligns with scientific research indicating crows actively seek out cashews in the wild.

How to Offer Cashews to Crows

Whole, Raw Cashews Work Best

When putting out cashews for crows, it’s best to use whole, raw nuts. Crows have strong beaks that can easily crack open the shell to get to the seed inside. Roasted cashews tend to be more brittle and dried out, making it harder for crows to open and enjoy them.

Raw cashews still in the shell are the optimal choice. The crows will happily work to extract the tasty nutmeat as a rewarding challenge. The shells also give them something extra to pick up and play with!

Put Out Cashews in A Visible Place

Make things easy for your local crows by putting out cashews in a spot that’s open and visible. Crows are naturally wary, so they probably won’t venture into enclosed spaces or areas with limited sight lines. Try placing a handful or two of cashews:

• On a flat section of your roof or balcony railing
• At the base of a tree
• Along the edge of a deck or fence
• On top of a large rock or stump

The more exposed the area, the more likely curious crows will find and approach your cashew offerings. Just be sure to put them somewhere it’s ok for the crows to make a mess cracking shells!

Be Consistent with Offerings

If you want to encourage crows to keep coming back for cashews, it’s important to set up a consistent feeding schedule. Crows have excellent memories and will remember reliable food sources.

Try putting out a handful of cashews at the same time each day – many people have success offering them early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The more often the crows find cashews waiting, the more eager they’ll be to stop by and check for a tasty treat!

It may take a few days for the crows to discover the nuts, but once they do, they’re likely to recruit friends and family to swoop in as well. Over time, you can witness whole convocations of crows gossiping and snacking together!

Potential Concerns and Precautions with Feeding Cashews to Crows

Risk of Choking on Whole Cashews

Crows have relatively small throats compared to their body size, so feeding them whole cashews does carry some risk of choking if the cashew gets lodged in their throat. To reduce this risk, it’s best to chop cashews into smaller pieces before feeding them to crows.

Pieces around 1/4 inch or smaller should be safe for most crows to swallow comfortably.

Younger crows with smaller throats may need the cashews chopped into even tinier pieces to prevent choking hazards. When in doubt, slice cashews as small as possible, or opt for cashew pieces rather than whole nuts.

High Fat Content Requires Moderation

Cashews are relatively high in fat, with about 12 grams of fat per ounce of nuts. While some dietary fat is perfectly healthy for crows, too much can lead to obesity and other health issues if they eat cashews as a major part of their diet.

To keep your crows healthy, cashews should be fed in moderation as an occasional treat. No more than a few small handfuls of chopped cashews 2-3 times per week is recommended. Crows should still get most of their calories from their natural diet of insects, small animals, fruits, and vegetables.

Avoid Salted, Roasted, or Flavored Cashews

When choosing cashews to feed crows, it’s important to avoid nuts with added salt, seasonings, oils, or other flavorings. Plain raw or dry roasted cashews are the healthiest option.

Added salt can lead to dehydration or kidney problems in crows over time. Oil, sugar, and other flavor additives also provide unnecessary empty calories that can contribute to obesity and related diseases.

Stick to plain, unsalted cashews in their shell or with minimal processing. This helps ensure crows get the full nutritional benefits from these nuts without any unhealthy additives.

Other Nuts and Foods Crows Enjoy

Peanuts

In addition to their clear love of cashews, crows also enjoy several other types of nuts. Peanuts are a particular favorite, likely because they are easy for crows to crack open with their strong beaks.

Studies show that over 80% of crows preferentially choose peanuts when offered a selection of nuts and seeds.

Peanuts contain lots of protein and fat, providing crows with a nutritious source of energy. Their high fat content also aids crows during cold winter months. By storing peanuts, crows can hide away food for later in locations like tree hollows and thick bushes.

This helps them survive harsh conditions when food is scarce.

Almonds

Crows also relish almonds. With their intelligence, crows have discovered methods to successfully break through almonds’ tough outer shells. Studies document crows purposefully dropping almonds from heights onto hard surfaces to crack them open and access the inner nutmeat.

The tasty, fatty meat inside makes the extra effort worthwhile. Similar to peanuts and cashews, almonds offer crows a healthy blend of monounsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants like vitamin E, and plant-based proteins.

By consuming nuts like almonds, clever crows obtain beneficial nutrients that provide energy and keep their feathers sleek and healthy.

Walnuts

In regions where they grow well, walnuts are another nut crows love snacking on. Crows employ their problem-solving skills to steal walnuts from trees and storage barns during fall harvest. In fact, farmers lose up to 12% of walnut crops to crow raids.

Crows are attracted to walnuts’ rich, hearty flavor and nutritional content. Walnuts offer crows a powerhouse package of antioxidants, vitamins B and E, and alpha-linolenic acid, an anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid. Munching on walnuts likely boosts crows’ immunity during stressful winter months.

Pecans

Lastly, crows will readily eat any pecans they discover. Though smaller with harder shells than some other nuts, crows still pilfer pecans from orchards and backyard trees. Their high fat and nutrient density make the effort worthwhile.

Crows employ tactics like rapidly striking pecans against branches to crack them open. The buttery flavor and nutrients inside, like nearly 10 grams of healthy fats per ounce, make pecans an attractive food source.

Along with other nuts, pecans help sustain crows across seasons and fuel their complex social behaviors and problem-solving abilities.

Conclusion

In summary, most crows do enjoy eating cashews when given the chance. The high fat and nutrient content make cashews an appealing food source. Crows have been observed actively seeking out and eating cashews in many areas where cashews are available.

By offering shelled, raw cashews in a consistent and accessible way, you’re likely to see crows incorporate them into their varied diet.