Kleptoparasites: 10 Animals That Steal Food From Others

In the human world, pirates steal treasure. In the animal kingdom, kleptoparasites steal something just as valuable: food. These animals obtain meals by taking prey or other food from different animals, sometimes of their own species and sometimes from entirely different ones.

From seabirds that snatch fish to clever birds that trick other animals into dropping their meals, kleptoparasitism takes many surprising forms. Some animals rely on speed and strength, while others use deception to get an easy meal.

Here are 10 fascinating examples of animal food thieves, plus one unusual bonus example.

1. Common Buzzard

The common buzzard is a medium-sized to large bird of prey found across much of Europe. It is an opportunistic hunter that feeds on a variety of animals, including rodents and other small mammals. Depending on the circumstances, its prey can range from insects to birds.

However, the common buzzard does not always rely on its own hunting skills. It may also steal food from smaller birds, taking advantage of opportunities to obtain a meal without catching one itself.

The relationship can work in the opposite direction, too. Larger birds of prey may force a buzzard to abandon its catch. As a result, the common buzzard can experience both sides of kleptoparasitism: stealing food from other animals and losing its own meal to a more powerful competitor.

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2. Corvids

The corvid family includes crows, ravens, jays, and their relatives. These intelligent birds are well known for their adaptability and ability to exploit food sources in different environments.

Some corvids steal food from other birds or take meals from people when an opportunity arises. Coastal populations provide a particularly interesting example.

Carrion crows living near the shore may feed on shellfish, but they are not always as efficient at opening them as other birds, such as Eurasian oystercatchers. Rather than struggling to break open a shell themselves, a crow may steal a shellfish after another bird has already opened it.

This strategy allows corvids to obtain food while saving time and energy. Their intelligence and ability to recognize opportunities make them effective opportunistic feeders.

3. Kleptoparasitic Spiders

Not all food thieves are large, conspicuous animals. Some are tiny spiders that specialize in stealing prey from other spiders’ webs.

Kleptoparasitic spiders enter webs built by other species and take trapped insects. Some may also consume prey remains or even occupy parts of another spider’s web.

In certain circumstances, their presence may benefit the web owner by removing small prey or debris. However, the relationship can become much less friendly when the intruder begins consuming valuable prey or attacking the resident spider itself.

These spiders demonstrate that kleptoparasitism is not limited to birds and large predators. It can also occur among small invertebrates, where stealing food provides an alternative to building and maintaining a web of their own.

4. Bald Eagles

Bald eagles are powerful birds of prey native to North America. Although they are capable hunters, they are also opportunistic feeders that sometimes obtain food by stealing it from other birds.

One well-known example involves ospreys, which catch fish by diving into the water. A bald eagle may pursue an osprey carrying a fish and force it to drop or abandon its catch.

Bald eagles have also been observed harassing other birds to obtain food. This behavior can save energy compared with catching prey from scratch, especially when hunting conditions are unfavorable.

Their size, strength, and aerial maneuverability give them an advantage in these confrontations. Even highly skilled hunters can become victims of food theft when a larger or more aggressive competitor appears.

5. Fork-Tailed Drongos

Fork-tailed drongos are remarkable birds known for their ability to deceive other animals. They often associate with meerkats and other species while searching for food in open habitats.

Their most unusual trick involves producing alarm calls that imitate those of other animals. When a meerkat hears what appears to be a warning about a nearby predator, it may abandon its food and flee for cover.

The drongo can then swoop down and take the discarded meal.

Even more impressively, these birds can use different alarm calls depending on the situation. Their deception is not simply a matter of making random noises; it can exploit the way other animals respond to specific warning signals.

This behavior makes fork-tailed drongos some of the most intriguing examples of kleptoparasitism in the natural world.

6. Gulls

Gulls are adaptable birds found along coastlines, around lakes, and in many urban environments. Although fish and other marine organisms are important foods for numerous species, gulls have a varied diet and use several strategies to obtain it.

Some gulls steal prey from diving seabirds that have already caught fish underwater. They may chase the returning birds until they drop their catch, allowing the gulls to seize it.

Gulls also take advantage of food left unattended by other animals. In coastal towns and holiday destinations, they have become notorious for snatching sandwiches, chips, and other meals directly from people.

Their quick reactions and ability to observe human behavior make them particularly successful at finding easy food. A moment of distraction may be all a gull needs to turn someone else’s lunch into its own.

7. Hyenas

Hyenas are often portrayed as scavengers that steal meals from lions and other predators. Although scavenging is an important part of their feeding behavior, hyenas are also capable hunters.

Spotted hyenas, in particular, can hunt individually or cooperate in groups to bring down prey. Their powerful jaws allow them to process a wide variety of animal remains, including bones.

When an opportunity arises, hyenas may challenge other predators for access to a carcass. The outcome depends on factors such as the number of animals involved, their size, and the value of the food.

Kleptoparasitism is therefore only one part of their feeding strategy. Hyenas can obtain food through hunting, scavenging, and stealing from other carnivores, making them highly adaptable competitors in their ecosystems.

8. Magnificent Frigatebirds

Magnificent frigatebirds are seabirds adapted for life on the wing. They have long, narrow wings that allow them to soar for extended periods with little effort.

Instead of relying entirely on catching their own food, frigatebirds sometimes harass other seabirds carrying fish back to their nests. They may pursue a bird in flight until it releases its catch, then swoop down to seize the food.

This behavior is particularly associated with interactions between frigatebirds and other seabirds returning from fishing trips.

Their aerial agility gives them an advantage during these chases. However, frigatebirds also catch their own prey, including fish and squid, so food theft is one component of a broader feeding strategy.

9. Peregrine Falcons

Peregrine falcons are famous for their extraordinary speed during hunting dives. They capture birds in flight and are among the most specialized aerial predators in the animal kingdom.

Despite their hunting abilities, peregrines can both lose food to other animals and steal prey themselves. Bald eagles, crows, and gulls may harass them or force them to abandon a catch.

Peregrine falcons may also pursue other birds and take food from them when circumstances allow. Such encounters can involve considerable aerial maneuvering, as the birds attempt to escape or defend their meal.

These interactions show that even highly effective predators do not always keep the prey they catch. In the natural world, securing a meal is sometimes only half the challenge; holding on to it can be just as difficult.

10. Sperm Whales

Sperm whales are among the largest toothed predators on Earth, best known for diving deep into the ocean to hunt squid and other prey.

They are also associated with an unusual form of food theft involving commercial fishing operations. In some regions, sperm whales have learned to take fish from fishing lines before fishermen can haul in their catch.

This behavior has been documented in fisheries where whales target hooked fish, including species caught on longlines. Their ability to locate fishing activity and exploit the opportunity can lead to substantial losses for fishermen.

Such interactions are an example of how marine mammals can adapt their feeding behavior around human activities. They can also create conflicts between wildlife and fisheries, making them an important subject for conservation research.

Bonus: Penguins That Steal Nesting Stones

Food is not the only resource animals steal from one another. Some penguins take nesting materials from neighboring birds.

In species that build nests from stones, suitable pebbles can be valuable, particularly when nesting sites are crowded or materials are limited. A penguin may take stones from another bird’s nest to improve or maintain its own.

Although this is not kleptoparasitism in the strict sense, because the stolen resource is not food, it is a similar example of resource theft in the animal kingdom.

It also highlights an important distinction: animals can steal many things that help them survive or reproduce, from meals to nesting materials.