Uncommon edible urban animals and insects .

I would like to start a thread on lesser known things that can be eaten in urban areas just in case there is a need , Looking into it I'm quite surprised at the abundance of food around us this thread will be for animals not plants , Plants are just to hard to Identify in a dark out inexperienced situation .

I'm amazed at the amount of edible birds apparently anything with Fur or Feathers can be eaten .. Here is a short list of birds

• Chicken + edible eggs
• Crow
• Duck + edible eggs
• Emu + edible eggs
• Goose + edible eggs
• Guineafowl
• Hooded merganser
• Mourning dove
• Northern bobwhite
• Ostrich + edible eggs
• Partridge
• Pheasant + edible eggs
• Prairie Chicken
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Robin
• Ruffed grouse
• Sparrow (not much meat)
• Squab – young Pigeon
• Starling
• Swan
• Turkey - + edible eggs
• Quail - + edible eggs
• Wood Duck

I'm sure Pigeons and seagulls can be added to the list .

Some of these such as the American Robin are supposed to be delicious .

From my window I see raccoons opossums squirrels cats robins starlings and ill say it stray dogs , I'm sure there are rats and other rodents also .

I've eaten earthworms and crickets also snakes .

Others please chime in .

Dandelion leaves. They grow in everyones yards and in fields.
Eat like lettuce or boil like spinach. FREE.

originally posted by: FlyersFan
Dandelion leaves. They grow in everyones yards and in fields.
Eat like lettuce or boil like spinach. FREE.

I would not eat any plant life in a urban setting to many pesticides have been sprayed I see all the beautiful dandelions in my yard but have no clue what poisons have been placed in the ground ,

Hence the reason I excluded plants in this thread .

a reply to: Ravenwatcher
S+F but, Emu?

Most urban dwellers would have better luck hunting mice, rats, cats and dogs.

Even long pig, if things get that bad.

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
I would not eat any plant life in a urban setting to many pesticides have been sprayed I see all the beautiful dandelions in my yard but have no clue what poisons have been placed in the ground,

You think pesticides have not been sprayed in the fields where your fruits and veggies come from?

originally posted by: daskakik

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
I would not eat any plant life in a urban setting to many pesticides have been sprayed I see all the beautiful dandelions in my yard but have no clue what poisons have been placed in the ground,

You think pesticides have not been sprayed in the fields where your fruits and veggies come from?

Yeah had me second guessing eating urban insects but I guess at a time you need to the pesticide thing wouldn't matter .

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Always remember, cockroaches have a nice nutty flavor, are part of the lobster family, and there will always be millions of them wherever you are.

Just go to old restaurants, apartments, food warehouses. They’ll always be there. Grab a few sacks full.

Maybe avoid the ones at the sewage treatment plant.

a reply to: arcticshuffle

And maybe rethink the pigeons. They’re notorious for eating garbage and carrying histoplasmosis.

But apparently lots of states are overrun with boars and wild pigs. Real, legit pork. You need a quality rifle though; they will kill you.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher
Not that I am a vegan/vegetarian but after much digging, I think the best source of both protein and fiber is yeast.

Maybe hard to get down, but if you got a source of sugar and a way to pump air into the slurry you get 25% of the weight of sugar as protein and twice the fiber that you need.

Companies selling "nutritional yeast" like to call it "deactivated", that just means it is dead, as in you boiled or roasted it.

originally posted by: daskakik
a reply to: Ravenwatcher
Not that I am a vegan/vegetarian but after much digging, I think the best source of both protein and fiber is yeast.

Maybe hard to get down, but if you got a source of sugar and a way to pump air into the slurry you get 25% of the weight of sugar as protein and twice the fiber that you need.

Companies selling "nutritional yeast" like to call it "deactivated", that just means it is dead, as in you boiled or roasted it.

How do you harvest the yeast or produce it for yourself without a culture ? We got to face it 99 percent of urban dwellers are not prepared for any kind of long term black out and will only have whats available out their windows .

Well there is always Haitian Ham.
a reply to: Ravenwatcher

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
How do you harvest the yeast or produce it for yourself without a culture ? We got to face it 99 percent of urban dwellers are not prepared for any kind of long term black out and will only have whats available out their windows .

We don't have to face anything, those 99% have to face that.

I have bakers yeast in my fridge. I know the whitish coating on many fruits, like grapes, is yeast, that is why they make wine. you just have to keep pumping air into the juice to keep the yeast reproducing instead of making alcohol.

When they are done they settle and you siphon off the liquid on top, add water and repeat, that is called washing. Of course you can just boil the whole thing and drink.

It is probably the most compact/portable way to make protein.

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES

Granny would have a mess of squirrels dressed out and in the frying pan in about a minute.

And she could make anything taste good.

How can people tell the difference between edible eggs and non-edible eggs ? 😯

originally posted by: xuenchen
How can people tell the difference between edible eggs and non-edible eggs ? 😯

I think it has to do with size from what i know there only a few that are toxic but those are in Papua New Guinea most snake eggs and Turtle eggs are edible also.

I think some cultures even eat eggs with embryos not sure I would eat a cobra embryo or rattle snake embryo i think they come with pre inserted death venom .

I would hold any egg to the light and not eat anything that has a embryo - Just me lol

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Groundhogs are very good eating. They are vegetarians, so the meat is "clean" tasting and not gamy. Just be aware they have scent glands that need to be removed as soon as possible so it doesn't taint the meat.

ETA : Almost all freshwater fish in the U.S. are edible.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Id like to try a couple Barn Owl cutlets.
Or maybe some sparrow drum sticks.

Maple trees are everywhere where I live and the leaves and seeds are edible. Also good to know that if you have no access to water, that raw food will provide you a good amount of water compared to cooked foods

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

The animals you'd be eating would be eating the same plants. Pesticides and herbicides break down fast usually.

If the animals aren't dying and sickly you might be ok with plant life.