{"id":24128,"date":"2016-04-13T10:18:58","date_gmt":"2016-04-13T14:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/?p=24128"},"modified":"2023-11-02T19:27:33","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T23:27:33","slug":"where-is-that-bird-going-with-that-seed-its-caching-food-for-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/where-is-that-bird-going-with-that-seed-its-caching-food-for-later\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Is That Bird Going With That Seed? It's Caching Food for Later"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Blue Jays have a special adaptation so they can grab a few big peanuts at one time. Photo by Deborah Bifulco<\/a> via Birdshare<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However you like to watch birds\u2014in the woods, at your feeder, or on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology\u2019s live streaming feeder cams \u2013 you will often see them flying with food in their beaks. If it\u2019s in the spring, the food could be destined for their young. But what about in the fall or winter? Why does a bird fly off with its food instead of eating it on the spot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Artwork by 2024 Bartels Illustrator Lauren Richelieu.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are at least three reasons: the birds could be trying to stay safe; or they might need to work on the seed in order to open it; or they might be caching the food item to save it for later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small birds like the ones that visit feeders are constantly obsessed with finding safety from predators<\/strong>. If food is at a risky, exposed location, such as a feeder, birds must remain vigilant, continuously scanning their surroundings for threats. Birds such as finches and grosbeaks, with their seed-crushing bills, can eat and scan simultaneously, looking down only briefly to grab another seed. Birds that must look down and hammer at seeds, however, prefer to fly to a safer place with their food instead of working on it in an area exposed to predators. This is why you often see chickadees flitting back and forth from feeder to trees or shrubs and back with their seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some foods\u2014such as shelled seeds and nuts\u2014might even require specialized methods to crack them open<\/strong>. True to their name, nuthatches often wedge seeds into bark crevices and hammer at them with their bill to \u201chatch\u201d them open. Blue Jays use a similar technique, but they manage to wedge the seed between their toes. Looking down to work on a seed is still risky, however, and you will often see Blue Jays quickly scan their surroundings before hammering away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But arguably the most fascinating reason is “caching”<\/strong>\u2014the behavior of storing up food supplies in a safe place for later. This is one of the main reasons you see birds fly off with their food instead of eating at the feeder\u2014they are setting up a personal \u201cinsurance policy.\u201d Lots of birds\u2014and even mammals such as squirrels, beavers, and bears\u2014cache food for consumption later on, during lean times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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