What Animals Eat Blackberries: A Comprehensive Guide

Blackberries are a tasty summer treat that both humans and animals enjoy. If you’ve ever gone blackberry picking only to find your bounty raided by wildlife, you may have wondered – what animals eat blackberries?

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: birds, bears, rabbits, deer, foxes, rodents, and insects are the most common blackberry eaters in the wild.

In this nearly 3,000 word guide, we’ll cover all the details on the animals that love to snack on these juicy fruits, including:

Birds

Types of Birds That Eat Blackberries

Many species of birds enjoy feasting on juicy blackberries when they are in season. Some of the most common birds that eat blackberries include:

• Robins – These reddish-breasted birds are a familiar sight in backyards and parks. Robins eat a wide variety of berries, including blackberries.
• Bluebirds – While dining on blackberries, the vibrant blue plumage of these birds really stands out. Bluebirds often nest near blackberry bushes.
• Cedar Waxwings – Distinguished by their sleek crested heads, these sociable birds travel in flocks and can devour blackberry bushes in a short time.
• Thrushes – Varieties like the American Robin and Eastern Bluebird thrive on blackberries. They use their beaks to pick the ripe berries.
• Finches – House Finches, Purple Finches, and American Goldfinches are small but mighty blackberry consumers. Their sharply pointed beaks allow them to efficiently extract the tiny drupelets.
• Tanagers – Scarlet Tanagers bring a pop of color while feasting on blackberries. They migrate just in time for summer berry season.
• Orioles – Northern Orioles and Orchard Orioles forage in shrubbery and enjoy blackberries. The berries provide nutrients they need for their long migrations.
• Grackles – These iridescent foragers have a taste for blackberries. Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles frequent hedgerows and thickets.

In addition to those species, other birds like Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Kingbirds, and Waxwings gladly feed on the ripe black fruit when available. Birds help distribute blackberry seeds far and wide through their droppings after eating the berries.

How Birds Get to the Berries

Wild blackberry bushes often feature thorny stems that help protect the berries from predators. However, birds have adapted clever ways to harvest the fruit:

• Perching – Smaller birds like finches can perch on the bush branches and reach the berries. Their lightweight bodies allow them to access the outermost berries.
• Grasping – Larger birds like robins and thrushes will grasp a cluster of blackberries with their feet while standing on a branch. This gives them access to berries deep within the bush.
• Flocking – Some birds like Cedar Waxwings will descend on bushes in large flocks. Through sheer numbers, they can quickly devour most of the ripe berries.
• Foraging – Ground foragers like Gray Catbirds walk below blackberry bushes, picking off low-hanging fruit within reach.

Birds also capitalize on berries that have already dropped from the bush onto the ground. Their various beak shapes help them efficiently extract pulp and seeds as they gobble up the soft fruit.

Impact on Crops

While birds perform an important function in dispersing seeds, large flocks can take a toll on cultivated berry crops. Commercial blackberry growers may experience significant losses if their fields are located along the migration paths of berry-loving bird species.

Some methods growers use to protect crops include:

• Netting – Draping mesh netting over plants creates a physical barrier against flocks while still allowing plenty of sun and air circulation.
• Noisemakers – Propane cannons, bangers, whistles, and other auditory scare devices may frighten off feeding flocks.
• Reflective tape – Flash tape placed along rows reflects sunlight and may deter birds from landing.
• Falconry – Some farms employ trained hawks, falcons, and eagles to scare berry-stealing birds away from fields.

Allowing birds to feed on unused perimeter rows or leaving some wild blackberry patches intact provides an ethical food source outside cultivated crops. With thoughtful coexistence strategies, birds and berry growers can both enjoy the bounty of blackberry season.

Bears

Black Bears

Black bears are omnivorous foragers and eat a wide variety of foods. They have an excellent sense of smell and use it to locate calorie-rich foods like berries, nuts, roots, insects, honey and carrion.

Black bears thrive in areas where blackberries are abundant, as the sweet berries provide lots of calories to help the bears fatten up for winter hibernation.

Studies have shown that blackberries can make up a significant part of a black bear’s summer diet. In some areas, black bears may consume over 85 pounds of blackberries per bear during peak berry season!This astounding amount allows them to gain up to 30 pounds of fat in just a few weeks! By packing on this fat layer, black bears are able to survive winter without eating or drinking for up to 7 months.

Black bears employ a number of foraging techniques when consuming blackberries. They use their dexterous front paws to pin down blackberry brambles and efficiently strip berries from the branches. Bears will also stand upright on their hind legs to reach high branches laden with fruit.

Their wide muzzles and long claws allow them to efficiently harvest large quantities of berries.

In areas where blackberries thrive, bears may create and revisit the same berry patches year after year. They often travel along established foraging paths between prime feeding spots. By revisiting productive patches, black bears are able to maximize their berry intake each summer leading up to hibernation.

So if you come across an expansive blackberry thicket with evidence of heavy bear traffic, you may want to forage elsewhere!

Grizzly Bears

Like black bears, grizzlies are highly fond of blackberries and consume them in large quantities where available. However, grizzlies have a more carnivorous diet and rely less heavily on berries than black bears do.

Still, scientists have found that berries, including blackberries, can make up over 50% of grizzly bear diets during summer months in some ecosystems.

Grizzlies employ similar foraging techniques to black bears when harvesting blackberries, using their front claws and muzzle to efficiently strip berries from brambles. However, grizzlies are more likely to disregard the brambles altogether and knock down entire blackberry bushes to access the fruit.

Their immense strength allows them to plow straight through dense thickets.

In Yellowstone National Park, grizzlies feast on blackberries from August through October to help pack on weight before denning season. Prime grizzly blackberry habitat includes openings in forests and meadows overgrown with brambles.

Biologists have identified over 75 distinct blackberry foraging sites used annually by Yellowstone grizzlies.

Interestingly, grizzly bears follow a stricter social hierarchy than black bears when foraging on berry patches. Dominant grizzlies occupy the most productive patches first and may guard them to prevent access by subordinate bears.

However, less dominant grizzlies are still able to wait until prime patches are vacated and utilize them afterward.

Berry Foraging Behavior

When consuming blackberries, bears exhibit some specific foraging behaviors.

• Bears pick berries with their dexterous front paws and mouth rather than biting off entire brambles or knocking down bushes.
• They prefer to forage in thickets that receive direct sunlight, which produces the most abundant and sweetest berry crops.
• Bears focus on the ripest, deepest colored berries and ignore any unripe green ones.
• They forage methodically through a thicket, stripping nearly all of the ripe berries from plants before moving to new ones.
• Bears stand upright on hind legs to reach high branches and can harvest berries up to 15 feet off the ground!

Understanding bear foraging behavior around blackberries can help wildlife managers better conserve productive bear habitats. It also teaches human blackberry pickers when to avoid areas still being utilized by bears!

Rabbits and Hares

Rabbits and hares are common backyard visitors that eagerly feast on ripe, juicy blackberries when given the chance. Their sensitive noses can detect the sweet aroma from impressive distances, enticing them to hop over for a tasty snack.

These prolific breeders take full advantage of seasonal berries to fuel up for wintertime or to boost their milk production while nursing a litter.

Cottontails

The cute, cuddly eastern cottontail is the most widespread rabbit species in North America. Weighing 2-4 pounds as adults, these little furballs thrive in landscapes filled with thickets, bushes, and lush vegetation that put blackberries right within reach.

Cottontails are most active at dusk and dawn when the berries are at their sweetest after a long day of ripening in the sun.

In one study observing cottontail feeding habits on blackberry farms, researchers found that the rabbits targeted only the largest, ripest berries and ate over 2 pounds per rabbit per day during peak season!

With litters of 3-8 babies multiple times per year, cottontail rabbits can quickly become major blackberry consumers.

Jackrabbits

The term “jackrabbit” refers to several much larger, long-eared species in the hare family including white-tailed, black-tailed, and antelope jackrabbits. Ranging from snowy forests to hot, arid deserts, jackrabbits are versatile survivors that eat blackberries when available as only a small part of their diverse diet.

With their powerful hind legs, jackrabbits can leap incredible distances to reach special treats like berries in otherwise unforgiving environments.

For example, the black-tailed jackrabbit thriving in the American West has been documented jumping over 20 feet to get from one bramble patch to another! And the white-tailed jackrabbit survives harsh Canadian winters thanks to caching food, including wild blackberries, for lean times.

Snowshoe Hares

The snowshoe hare is named for its huge hind feet that allow it to trot across snowy landscapes with ease. Also known as the varying hare, this species switches from brown to white fur to stay camouflaged with the seasons.

Snowshoe hares happily browse on blackberry leaves, canes, and fruit when available, transitioning summer and fall berries into thicker winter coats to endure the cold.

One Ohio State University study on snowshoe diet analysis found blackberries in over 50% of scat samples from hares in prime thicket habitat. Researchers concluded snowshoe hares may travel up to 500 yards specifically seeking out these antioxidant-rich superfoods!

Deer

Deer are common visitors to areas where blackberries grow wild. As herbivores, deer graze on various plants, shrubs, and trees throughout the year. The sweet, plump blackberries found growing on thorny vines are a tasty summer treat that all types of deer will readily devour.

White-Tailed Deer

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is very widespread across North America. This medium-sized deer features a brown coat in summer that grays in winter. The most recognizable trait is the large white underside to its tail that it flags as an alarm signal.

White-tailed deer feed on blackberry brambles from summer through fall. The sweet berries provide energy to build up their fat reserves ahead of winter.

Mule Deer

The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) can be found browsing on blackberry bushes from spring right through to fall. This deer is named for its large mule-like ears. It has a gray-brown coat with a black-tipped tail and white rump patch.

Mule deer will stand on their hind legs to reach the higher vines bearing ripening blackberry fruit. Their wide ranging diet shifts seasonally to take advantage of readily available plant food sources.

Black-Tailed Deer

Closely related to the mule deer, the black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus ssp. columbianus) favors areas along the Pacific coast. It can be identified by its black upper tail, giving it its name. This medium-sized deer is a browser, feeding on leaves, twigs, shrubs, vines, fruits and berries throughout the seasons.

The sweet blackberries found growing abundantly in its habitat are eagerly consumed by the black-tailed deer through summer and fall.

As the table summarizes, the three main species of deer in North America will feed on ripe, delicious blackberries through the summer and fall months. So if your blackberry brambles look a little worse for wear, you may have hungry deer visitors to thank!

Foxes

Red Foxes

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are the most common and widespread fox species in North America. They have rusty red fur on their backs, sides, and tails as well as white fur on their bellies and throats. Red foxes thrive in a variety of habitats including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts.

They are omnivorous and feed on small mammals like mice and voles as well as berries, insects, birds, eggs, and fruits like blackberries.

Red foxes have excellent senses of smell, vision, and hearing which helps them locate blackberry bushes. They use their keen sense of smell to sniff out ripe, juicy blackberries during the summer months. Red foxes are solitary foragers but they will also forage in pairs or small family groups.

They typically forage most actively at dawn and dusk.

Some key facts about red foxes:

• Weigh between 7-15 pounds
• Can live up to 14 years in the wild
• Are found across most of North America
• Omnivorous diet includes blackberries
• Forage using excellent senses of smell, sight, and hearing

Gray Foxes

Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are the only canid in North America that can climb trees. They have gray, black, white, and rust colored fur. Gray foxes inhabit wooded areas and forests across much of the continental United States.

They are omnivores that will eat blackberries when they are in season.

Gray foxes rely heavily on their sense of smell to locate ripe blackberry bushes. They use their retractable claws to climb blackberry brambles and branches in order to access the sweet, juicy berries.

Gray foxes are solitary foragers but mothers will sometimes forage with their kits during the summer months when blackberries are abundant.

Here are some key facts about gray foxes:

• Weigh between 7-15 pounds
• Inhabit wooded areas and forests
• Excellent climbers due to retractable claws
• Omnivorous diet includes blackberries
• Keen sense of smell helps locate blackberries

Foraging Habits

Foxes employ excellent senses of smell, sight, and hearing when foraging for blackberries. They can pinpoint the location of wild blackberry bushes that are producing ripe, juicy berries. Red foxes and gray foxes have similar diets and foraging habits when it comes to blackberries.

Some key facts about fox foraging habits for blackberries include:

• Forage most actively at dawn and dusk using senses
• Solitary foragers but may forage in pairs or family groups
• Use smell to sniff out wild blackberry bushes
• Employ vision to spot dark, juicy berries on bushes
• May listen for sounds of other animals feeding to find good bushes
• Will climb brambles and branches to reach berries (gray foxes)
• Travel along the same routes to productive blackberry patches

Foxes relish the sweet taste of ripe blackberries and they remember where productive berry bushes are located. They will return to these prime foraging spots year after year when blackberries are in season.

Foxes play an important role in seed dispersal and propagation of wild blackberries across North America.

Rodents

Mice and Voles

Mice and voles are small rodents that love to feast on ripe, juicy blackberries (1). Their excellent sense of smell allows them to easily locate fruiting blackberry canes. Once found, they will voraciously devour the sweet berries.

In fact, mice and voles can destroy an entire blackberry crop within days if left unchecked. They are very productive animals, as a single female mouse can produce up to 10 litters per year, with 5-6 young per litter (2).

With such high reproductive rates, mouse and vole populations can escalate rapidly.

Gophers

Much like mice and voles, gophers also relish fresh blackberries (3). These stout-bodied rodents inhabit underground burrow systems and use their strong claws for digging. Gophers make small cone-shaped mounds of fresh soil outside their burrow holes.

They will opportunistically come out of their burrows to eat fallen berries as well as clip off ripening blackberry canes. Their sharp ever-growing front teeth make quick work of severing through the tender berry canes. Left unchecked, gophers can lay waste to entire blackberry fields.

Their tunnels also loosen and aerate soil, which encourages blackberry spread. So gophers simultaneously help proliferate yet also consume blackberries.

Groundhogs/Woodchucks

The groundhog, also called the woodchuck, makes its home by digging extensive burrows (4). These sizable rodents emerge from hibernation in early spring – just in time for ripening blackberries. Groundhogs seem to delight in finding wild blackberry patches along field edges and gorges.

Sitting up on their haunches, they will happily gorge themselves on juicy berries for hours. Groundhogs also have a taste for the tender growing tips of blackberry shoots and canes. Their sharp claws make quick work of pulling down berry laden canes.

Since groundhogs are solitary animals, each one may lay claim to a specific blackberry patch for its personal all-you-can-eat buffet!

Insects

Bees

Bees are one of the most common insects seen feeding on blackberries. As blackberries flower in the spring and summer, they provide an excellent source of nectar and pollen for bees. There are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide, but some of the most frequently spotted on blackberry bushes include:

• Honeybees – Honeybees collect both nectar and pollen from blackberry flowers. The nectar is processed into honey back at the hive. Pollen provides an essential source of protein.
• Bumblebees – Large and fuzzy, bumblebees are efficient pollinators of blackberries. Their long tongues allow them to access nectar that other bees cannot.
• Carpenter bees – These solitary bees get some of their nutrition from blackberry nectar. The males are especially drawn to the flowers.
• Mason bees – Small, docile bees that nest in holes and cracks. Blackberry flowers provide their carbohydrate fuel.

Bees play a vital role in blackberry pollination. As bees move from flower to flower collecting nectar and pollen, they also distribute pollen between plants. This allows the blackberry bush to produce the aggregate fruits that humans enjoy eating.

Butterflies

Butterflies regularly sip nectar from blackberry blossoms with their long, slender proboscis. This provides them with the energy needed to fly and search for mates. Some species that frequent blackberry patches include:

• Swallowtails – large, colorful butterflies like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
• Sulfurs – medium-sized yellow butterflies like the Cloudless Sulfur
• Brushfoots – a wide array of species like Monarchs, Red Admirals, and Painted Ladies
• Gossamer wings – tiny butterflies like the Gray Hairstreak

In addition to nectar, some butterflies may collect pollen from the flowers. While they are not efficient pollinators compared to bees, butterflies do play a minor role in blackberry pollination when they inadvertently transfer some pollen between blossoms.

Flies

Though often overlooked, flies are actually quite important pollinators of many flowering plants, including blackberries. Their larvae even help break down decaying organic matter in the soil surrounding the bushes. Some of the main flies seen on blackberry plants include:

• Syrphid flies – Also called flower flies or hover flies. They mimic the appearance of bees and wasps.
• Tachinid flies – Parasitic flies that help control crop pests.
• Blow flies – Metallic-colored flies that feed on nectar.
• Fruit flies – Tiny flies that breed in fallen, rotting blackberries.

Flies utilize their sponging mouthparts to soak up fluid nectar from blackberry blossoms. As they move between plants, pollen sticks to their bodies and legs, allowing them to spread pollen. Though small, flies are abundant and can be significant pollinators in many ecosystems.

Conclusion

As you can see, blackberries are a popular snack in the animal kingdom! All sorts of birds, mammals, and insects take advantage of these ripe, juicy fruits when they’re in season.

If you’re growing blackberries, be prepared to share your crop with local wildlife. While they will eat some, there’s usually enough to go around. Watching animals stop by for an afternoon berry snack can be a rewarding part of gardening!

We covered a lot of details on the many animals that just can’t resist delicious blackberries when they find them growing in the wild. Hopefully this guide gave you the information you were looking for!