Author Topic: edible birds (Read 4171 times)

zacharoo · « **on:** February 11, 2009, 12:44:36 PM »

This might not fit in this forum but I will ask anyway. Are all song birds edible or not in an emergency?
Zacharoo

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2009, 01:18:29 PM »

Their flesh is not poisonous so sure. I tried some as a boy and maybe it was the way I cooked them but I never tried that again.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2009, 01:43:41 PM »

I've heard robins are pretty good, cow birds are suppose to be too but I've never eaten any.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2009, 03:41:11 PM »

Robin, taste like, Dove, which goes with good with a side dish of rattlesnake. Snakes are easier to kill.

zacharoo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2009, 03:48:00 PM »

I know robins are good here in Louisiana the make a good gumbo or a jambalaya.But they a illegal to kill. Ate a lot as a kisd but I am 58 now so that was long ago.

Zacharoo

squirrellluck · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2009, 05:03:38 PM »

Papaw use to send me out to shoot robins for breakfast when I was a kid. They are very good eating. I had a recipe for blackbird pie at one time but never tried it. From what I remember it was basically a chicken pot pie but with blackbird instead of chicken. But then again I was accused of eating pig ear sandwiches once too! Just because I was from Louisiana. Yankees say the darndest things sometimes!

bilmac · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2009, 06:49:32 PM »

I'm like Greybeard, I don't remember how many critters I ate - once. Porcupine, rock chuck, turtle, crawdads, snake, freshwater clams, chubs, suckers. They tasted kinda like chicken.

GatCat · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2009, 09:31:56 PM »

I'm just guessing, but if you are looking for nutrition ( survival ), I'd say simmer the cleaned carcass's, when meat is done, pick it off bones, add to liquid, along with cooked internal organs ( heart, liver, etc ). Crush remaining bones, simmer those in a tied-off piece of cloth in the broth, then eat/drink. Adding any vegies to the mix would be a plus.
During WW2 in England, from what I've read, thier "blackbirds" ( not like our blackbirds, nor crows ) were a welcome addition to the kitchen.
<Mark

Oldshooter · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2009, 12:29:03 AM »

When i was a younger coon-ass I used to kill redwinged black birds and my grandmother would make a gumbo with them. Never ate anything any better. Robins they say are good to eat, I......... wouldnt know anything about that though since they are illegal to hunt.

zacharoo · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2009, 12:54:07 AM »

It is good to hear that word coonass used as a proud classification instead of a cut. PROUD COONASS from New Iberia. Where are you from? Rice field blackbirds are delicious!!
Zacharoo

Oldshooter · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2009, 01:08:48 AM »

Well actually I'm a refugee. Was born and raised around Henderson and Breaux Bridge.
Live in Texas now

bilmac · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2009, 01:20:02 AM »

Breaking and cooking the bones of small birds probably wouldn't be worth the effort. God made bird bones mostly hollow, the better to fly with.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2009, 01:30:20 AM »

As I understand it, all birds are edible. At least they are not poisonous. I don't know if that rule I was taught young applies all around the world or just in North America. Should I find myself stranded anywhere, birds would be high on my catch list. Now as for palatable, that's a much different story. Of course if it's an emergency, liking it takes a back seat to having it.

Now for the tricky bit, how to have the means of catching said song bird at hand when you are in a survival situation. If you happen to be stranded in the bush with a good pellet rifle, you are all set. If, on the other hand, you have only what's in your pockets. What could a person keep in his pockets that would catch food. I piece of snare wire wound into your wallet? Anybody care to brainstorm on this one?

Swampman · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2009, 01:37:50 AM »

"4 & 20 black birds baked in a pie"

The difference between what you won't eat, and what you will eat is about 12 hours.

I remember Roger's Rangers ate some owls during a lean time.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2009, 02:47:13 AM »

From what I have read and studied, all animals, including birds, are eatable, but all may not be palatable. However, plants are a different story. Some are poisonous, some medicinal, and some eatable, and some we just can't digest (too much cellulose).

Swampman · « **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2009, 03:16:17 AM »

Quote from: jlwilliams on February 12, 2009, 01:30:20 AM

Now for the tricky bit, how to have the means of catching said song bird at hand when you are in a survival situation. If you happen to be stranded in the bush with a good pellet rifle, you are all set. If, on the other hand, you have only what's in your pockets. What could a person keep in his pockets that would catch food. Anybody care to brainstorm on this one?

You just put salt on their tail........that's what my grandma use to tell me

jlwilliams · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2009, 03:58:28 AM »

And here I was thinking about improvised traps and such when all I need is a packet of salt saved from my next sast food purchase

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2009, 09:20:33 AM »

As a kid we used to catch birds with a box some string and a stick, I am sure you've seen this kind of trap, Put out some bread crumbs hide and wait. We caught a few birds but I'd have to be pretty hungry to have the patience to do that today.

hillbill · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2009, 03:15:06 PM »

meadowlarks=quail in hard times

zacharoo · « **Reply #19 on:** February 15, 2009, 11:43:20 AM »

Good to see someone from around home. Have relatives in Breaux Bridge and Henderson. Uncle in Breaux Bridge 83 years old. Ate many robin jambalaya's!! GOD BLESS LOUISIANA AND OUR TROOPS!!!

Zacharoo

tn_junk · « **Reply #20 on:** February 15, 2009, 12:04:23 PM »

Robin taste exactly like dove, and about a dozen sparrows cooked up in a stew taste pretty good, though the little bones can be a pain.
Or so I've heard.

alan

Oldshooter · « **Reply #21 on:** February 15, 2009, 04:16:24 PM »

Quote from: zacharoo on February 15, 2009, 11:43:20 AM

Good to see someone from around home. Have relatives in Breaux Bridge and Henderson. Uncle in Breaux Bridge 83 years old. Ate many robin jambalaya's!! GOD BLESS LOUISIANA AND OUR TROOPS!!!

Zacharoo

How about "Grosbeck", Ask your uncle about eating them. Now dats some good eaten Ya! Could tell you some stories about the Atchafalaya basin "podna"

We ate crawfish before it was cool, because it was what we had to eat

zacharoo · « **Reply #22 on:** February 16, 2009, 03:21:11 AM »

How about a bec-crorosh now you can tell where I am from. These are not to be killed either! When is the last time you ate a stuffed ponce. Don't know if that is spelled right. I am eating a bowl of couch couch for breakfast now.

Talk to you latter old shooter.

Zacharoo

Oldshooter · « **Reply #23 on:** February 16, 2009, 05:32:16 AM »

Ok you passed the test LOL

Brings back some good memories!

Yankee1 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 10, 2009, 06:38:48 PM »

Hello Oldshooter
My wife tells me she has had rice birds and rice. She is from Beaumont.
I was born back east but I've had crayfish they are good. When we were kids we caught them and cooked them in large tin cans in the fire. Tin cans were our cooking set as kids. I've hunted the Big Thicket for deer. There used to be a lot of hogs there also. We now live up in the mountains of southern Oregon out in the woods. We have deer, bear,turkey, elk, waterfowl and fifty pound salmon in our rivers. Its a real nice place. My Texan and I have been married 53 years.
Yankee 1

Oldshooter · « **Reply #25 on:** April 11, 2009, 01:50:42 AM »

Well congratulations Pard, thats a long time. She must be very understanding

. No sincerely that is remarkable ! I can see the glow of Beaumont over the trees at night, I live in the Woods north of Beaumont only 10 miles the way the crow flies but a drive there takes 30 minutes.

Yes, My Family ate crawfish before they were cool, we ate em to stay alive!

Quote

I've hunted the Big Thicket for deer.

The Thicket is a special place, I've hunted here most of my life and I never cease to be amazed by what you find here.

Quote

We have deer, bear,turkey, elk, waterfowl and fifty pound salmon in our rivers.

Now that is something I could get excited about! You also have volcanoes up there too or is that Washington?

Good to hear from you Stay in touch!

Randy

Yankee1 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 11, 2009, 08:47:02 AM »

Hi Oldshooter
Those volcano's are in Washington quite a distance from me. There are dormant volcano's all along this coast but nothing active. I live above Grants Pass Oregon about 15 miles. We also have great shooting facilities here with many ranges outdoor and indoor. Club membership is only 50.00 per year. Family membership only 60.00 per year. You can shoot everyday if you want to.
I made some hen turkey wing bone calls last year and was trying them out in my front yard and had a flock of about 40 turkeys come investigate. when I'm out working in my shop I have deer come and watch me I guess they are trying to figure out what I'm doing. I put food out for them in winter to help them out.
Nice talking with you.
Yankee 1 aka: Chuck

Oldshooter · « **Reply #27 on:** April 11, 2009, 09:43:31 AM »

You too Chuck,

Cornbelt · « **Reply #28 on:** April 14, 2009, 06:50:01 AM »

Blue Jays taste a lot like squabb, but full grown pigeons are terrible. I've heard crows are ok if not on carrion diet. Kildeers are good, but not much meat.

mechanic · « **Reply #29 on:** May 08, 2009, 07:08:18 PM »

Catching most larger birds is as easy as finding a depression in the ground, place a piece of wire, hardware cloth or screen, over it with one end closed, and making a trail of food into the far end. Quail, and many songbirds will not leave the way they entered. Their natural reaction is to try and fly upward when they hit the boxed end.

At least thats what I've always heard. Trapping birds is illegal so obviously I've never tried it.