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The Brown-headed Cowbird is a stocky blackbird with a fascinating approach to raising its young. Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than three dozen a summer.
Mar 14, 2011 · Brown-headed Cowbirds are smallish blackbirds, with a shorter tail and thicker head than most other blackbirds. The bill has a distinctive shape: it’s much shorter and thicker-based than other blackbirds', almost finch-like at first glance.
Feb 21, 2024 · Learn why the brown-headed cowbird is many birders' least favorite—and how to tell cowbird eggs apart from those of other species.
The brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a small, obligate brood parasitic icterid native to temperate and subtropical North America. It is a permanent resident in the southern parts of its range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or April.
Forages mostly by walking on the ground. Often associates with cattle or horses in pastures, catching the insects flushed from the grass by the grazing animals. Originally, was closely associated with bison herds on the Great Plains.
The Brown-headed Cowbird is a stocky blackbird with a fascinating approach to raising its young. Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than three dozen a summer.
Brown-headed Cowbird. What they eat: Brown-headed Cowbirds feed mostly on seeds from grasses and weeds, with some crop grains. At feeders, they prefer oats, milo, millet, and peanut hearts, and they tend to visit large hopper, platform, and ground feeders. Where they live: These birds occur in grasslands, as well as woodland edges, thickets ...
Males are glossy black with chocolate brown head. Females are gray-brown overall, without bold streaks, but slightly paler throat. Juveniles streaked brown. Found in open woods, farmland, and stockyards.
The Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a sturdy blackbird with an unusual approach to parenthood. Females do not build nests but use all their energy for producing eggs, sometimes over three dozen per summer.
Dec 22, 2023 · The male Brown-headed Cowbird is a smallish songbird with a black body and a dark brown head. In certain lighting, its plumage shows glossy, dark blue highlights. It also has a short, finch-like bill, a fairly short tail, and black legs and feet.
