The bobcat, known scientifically as Lynx rufus, is a medium-sized North American wildcat and one of the continent’s most widespread predators. This highly adaptable carnivore occupies a vast range of habitats, from swamps and forests to deserts and mountainous regions. Its flexible and generalist diet allows it to utilize a wide array of local prey resources.
Core Components of the Bobcat Diet
The foundation of the bobcat’s diet consists overwhelmingly of small-to-medium sized mammals that offer a high caloric return. Lagomorphs, specifically rabbits and hares, are the most frequent and important prey item across the bobcat’s range. In many parts of the eastern United States, for instance, the Eastern cottontail rabbit can account for over one-third of the bobcat’s food occurrences throughout the year.
Beyond lagomorphs, various rodents form the bulk of the remaining diet, including mice, voles, gophers, and tree squirrels. These small mammals, such as Cricetid rodents and red squirrels, can contribute over 78% of the total dietary biomass in some northern populations, especially during winter. Bobcats rely on stealth and a powerful pounce to secure these burrowing and arboreal species.
Avian Prey and Opportunistic Hunting
Bobcats do consume birds, but this prey category typically serves as a supplement rather than a staple component of their diet, reflecting an opportunistic hunting strategy. Studies examining bobcat stomach contents show that avian remains may be present in a portion of samples, such as in approximately 11.6% of bobcats examined in Indiana. The birds most frequently targeted are ground-nesting species, which are easier to ambush than those that fly or roost high in trees.
Larger game birds like wild turkeys, quail, or grouse are sometimes taken, especially if the bobcat can approach them from dense cover. Bobcats are also documented to climb trees to capture roosting prey at night. Predation on birds is often triggered by accessibility, such as ground-nesting sites or the presence of domestic poultry like chickens.
Diet Flexibility and Seasonal Adaptation
The bobcat’s survival is tied to its high degree of dietary flexibility, which allows it to adapt to local prey availability, geography, and seasonal changes. In regions where the primary prey, such as rabbits, experiences a population crash, bobcats will broaden their food base to include a greater diversity of rodents, reptiles, and birds.
Seasonal changes significantly influence the bobcat’s menu, particularly in northern climates where deep winter snow can limit access to small mammals. During these harsh periods, bobcats may turn to larger, less common prey like deer, often targeting vulnerable individuals such as fawns or adults weakened by illness or injury. They will also readily scavenge on carrion, including deer or elk, to sustain themselves. Geographical location also dictates the diet’s composition; for example, bobcats in arid deserts may rely heavily on kangaroo rats and jackrabbits, while those near coastlines might consume more shorebirds or scavenge marine life.