Alpine Choughs caught eating droppings in winter-only survival strategy
New study finds high-mountain corvids regularly consume their own and other birds’ droppings during winter food shortages
A surprising winter habit
Alpine Choughs have been filmed eating droppings - but only in winter. A new study in the Journal of Avian Biology has documented the behaviour in detail, showing that it may form part of the birds’ strategy for coping with harsh alpine conditions.
While the behaviour is well documented in mammals, it has rarely been recorded in wild birds. The new research provides the first clear evidence of the habit in Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus, including birds eating their own droppings and, more unusually, competing to eat those of other adults.
Only happens in winter
Researchers monitored a colour-ringed population in Berchtesgaden, southern Germany, during winter and summer 2024. Across 1,422 recorded droppings, nearly half were eaten - but only during winter. Not a single case was observed in summer.
Most of the time birds consumed their own fresh droppings. In around one in five cases, however, another bird stepped in and ate it instead - sometimes displacing the original bird.
Why would they do it?
Alpine Choughs live above the tree line for much of the year, where winters are long and snow cover can restrict access to natural food such as insects. In colder months they often move downslope and forage around buildings, ski stations and restaurants, feeding on scraps and bird-table seed.
The authors suggest eating droppings may help birds recover extra nutrients from partially digested food during periods of scarcity. It could also help their gut bacteria adjust to major seasonal diet changes.
More likely when feeding - and when droppings are solid
The study found the behaviour was far more likely when birds were actively feeding, rather than resting. Solid droppings were much more likely to be eaten than watery ones, possibly because they contain more undigested material.
Interestingly, neither time of day nor temperature had a significant effect.
Social birds, social competition
Alpine Choughs are highly social, forming flocks year-round. The study found that when more birds were nearby, it became more likely that one individual would eat another’s droppings. In dense groups, access to fresh droppings may simply be easier.
Dominance may also play a role, with lower-ranking birds potentially more likely to engage in the behaviour or more likely to be displaced.
A flexible survival tool?
Although it may seem unappealing to us, eating droppings is a well-known way for some animals to extract extra nutrients or maintain a healthy gut. For Alpine Choughs facing months of snow cover and unpredictable food supplies, it may represent a flexible winter survival tactic.
The researchers suggest further work could examine whether the behaviour improves nutrient absorption or stabilises gut bacteria during seasonal dietary shifts.
For a familiar alpine bird often watched around mountain cafés and cable cars, the study reveals a hidden aspect of winter life - one that underlines just how adaptable high-mountain species can be.
February 2026
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