#Cowbirds

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Bronzed Cowbird

Photo: Doug Greenberg

"Larger than the Brown-headed Cowbird and mostly restricted to the Southwest, this species is another brood parasite. It may be more specialized in its choice of 'hosts,' and is thought to have seriously affected populations of some species, such as Hooded Orioles in southern Texas. The Bronzed Cowbird has expanded its range in our area during the last century; in Arizona, where it is now common, it was unrecorded before 1909."

- Audubon Field Guide

#birds #bronzed cowbird #birds of north america #north american birds #cowbirds #blackbirds #passerines #birds of the us #birds of mexico #birds of central america #birding #birdblr #birblr #bird watching #bird of the day #Molothrus aeneus

[ostdrossel]

You can all stop worrying about the cowbirds now. They are all here, and it looks like they are getting ready to migrate.

#birds #backyard birds #brown headed cowbird #cowbirds #enthusiastic bathing #fall migration #bird flock #birds of michigan #birds of north america #birdlovers #nature #birdwatching #BirdsyTV #ostdrossel #Saturday vibes

[alcnfr]

There was a fine crowd of Brown-Headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) at the feeders this afternoon.

#nature #my photography #feedlot #brown headed cowbird #nature photography #female cowbird #wildlife photography #cowbirds #wild birds #bird feeder

[living400lbs]

Discussing cuckoos and other obligate brood parasites:

“Speaking of obligate brood parasites,” he began. We hadn’t been, but I knew it would make him cranky if I pointed that out. “Do you want to know the most fascinating thing about them?” Grandfather asked.

I sensed that answering “no” wouldn’t be good for family harmony so I put on my polite face. “What’s that?” I asked.

“You’d think the host birds would figure out what was happening and retaliate, wouldn’t you? Break the unfamiliar eggs. Kill the alien fledglings, or at least evict them from the nest.”

“Do the host birds even notice?” I asked. “I mean, the term ‘bird brain’ does apply here.”

“Well, in some cases it’s hard for them to notice. Over time, the cuckoo, for example, has evolved to lay eggs that are remarkably similar to the host birds’. Meadow buntings lay white eggs with black speckles, so the cuckoos that prey on them lay white eggs with black speckles. The streaked laughing thrush lays a pale blue egg, and so does the cuckoo that targets them. Ornithologists sometimes have to use genetic markers to tell the eggs apart. Really a fascinating adaptation!”

“I’m starting to get the idea that cuckoos are really creepy birds,” I said.

“They’re positively diabolical.” From Grandfather’s tone, I got the feeling he rather admired the cuckoos’ ingenious if underhanded tactics. dangerous....“And there’s a growing body of research that suggests both cuckoos and cowbirds engage in retaliatory mafia behavior.”

“Retaliatory mafia behavior?” [...]

“It seems that after laying their eggs, the parasite birds hang around to observe the behavior of the host birds,” Grandfather explained. “If the host birds destroy the cuckoo’s eggs, the cuckoo will come back and destroy the hosts’ eggs. Once the eggs hatch, if the host birds kill or evict the fledglings, the cuckoos retaliate by killing the hosts’ fledglings. Same with cowbirds. So detecting and expelling intruder eggs actually has a negative effect on the host birds’ ability to pass on their genes. Because of the cuckoo or cowbird predation, host birds who try to get rid of the intruders raise fifty to sixty percent fewer of their own offspring.”

“So instead of being too stupid to tell their own eggs from a cuckoo’s, the host birds are actually smart enough to realize that the cuckoos have them over a barrel, and the safest thing to do is suck it up and raise the alien offspring.”

“Precisely!”

“If that’s true,” I said, “then cuckoos are quite possibly the creepiest birds on the planet. They make vultures seem cuddly. And what’s this ‘host bird’ nonsense, anyway? Let’s call it what it is—they’re victims!”

- from Lark! The Herald Angel Sing by Donna Andrews

#donna andrews #meg langslow #cuckoos #cowbirds #obligate bird parasitism #lark

[antiqueanimals]

When Flying Animals are Babies. Written by Elizabeth & Charles Schwartz. Illustrated by Charles Schwartz. 1973.

#birds #cowbirds #Charles Schwartz

[yescrazycatlady10]

A Male And Female Cowbird! 🐦

#youtube #Cowbirds

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[zepzg3ypezxrwl]

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[mostlybirdsandphotos]

impress? lovely feathers, yes? impress? attracted to me? good feathers?

eep!

(male brown-headed cowbird attempting to woo a female)

#my photography! #bird photography #birding #birds #mating behaviour #brown-headed cowbird

[feather-bone]

Brown-headed cowbird! This big blackbird is an obligate brood parasite - meaning they don’t build nests to raise young, and instead lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. They choose smaller songbirds’ nests, and the chicks are raised with their host family (usually to the detriment of at least some of the host’s own chicks). Cowbird chicks hatch and grow quickly, outcompeting the smaller host chicks - and often the cowbird chick will dwarf their host parent by the time they are fledging. Cowbirds thrive in disturbed or agricultural grassland at the forest’s edge, feeding on the seeds of grasses and weeds. They like to hang out around livestock, picking off grasshoppers and beetles that are flushed out of hiding by grazing animals.

[ID: an illustration of a male cowbird, an iridescent black bird with a brown head. It is facing to the right, perched on a stump, and behind it is a wreath of poison ivy on a light blue background. End.]

#birds #avian art #avians #cowbird #blackbird

[revretch]

I was out sitting in a field sketching today when a little bird started hanging around me! She started getting closer and closer, until finally she hopped up on my foot, then on my leg, then on my other leg! She must have climbed on me at least four different times! (She also tried to eat my pencil and pooped on my shoe.)

Anyway, I looked her up and it turns out she was a brown-headed cowbird--a type of brood parasite, like a cuckoo! They even have the mafia tactics of cuckoos, laying their eggs in the nests of littler birds and destroying them if their offspring isn't cared for.

I hope she lives a long happy life and terrorizes many little birds to come

#rev retches #bird #cowbird #brown-headed cowbird #parasite #brood parasite

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Brown-headed Cowbird

Photo: Miki Jourdan

"Centuries ago this bird probably followed bison herds on the Great Plains, feeding on insects flushed from the grass by the grazers. Today it follows cattle, and occurs abundantly from coast to coast. Its spread has represented bad news for other songbirds: Cowbirds lay their eggs in nests of other birds. Heavy parasitism by cowbirds has pushed some species to the status of 'endangered' and has probably hurt populations of some others."

- Audubon Field Guide

#birds #brown headed cowbird #birds of north america #north american birds #cowbird #cowbirds #blackbirds #passerines #american birds #birds of america #birds of the us #birds of canada #birds of mexico #bird #birding #bird watching #birdblr #birblr #Molothrus ater

[ostdrossel]

Another ice storm today,

but the spring migrants keep coming. Here's a very weather-battled Cowbird.

Let's hope the power lines stay put!

#birds #backyard birds #Brownheaded Cowbird #cowbirds #ice storm #birds of Michigan #birds of north america #pure Michigan #birdwatching #birdlovers #nature #spring migration #Ostdrossel #birdphoto

[alcnfr]

A pair of Brown-Headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) browsing near the feeders this morning...

#nature #my photography #brown headed cowbird #nature photography #cowbirds #wildlife photography #feedlot #wild birds

[thomas--bombadil]

A catbird enjoys a sunny morning.

#midwest #summertime #cowbird #nature photography #bird watching #birbs #wildlife photography #birds #wildlife #bird #birdwatching #wildlife photos #birding #birblr #nature photos #bird photos #bird photography #bird pics #nature #original photography #original photographers

[mosticonicbirdcallbracket]

MOST ICONIC BIRD CALL BRACKET: ROUND ONE: AMERICAN CROW vs. BROWN HEADED COWBIRD

IN THE BLUE CORNER, we have the muse of goths across the globe, the american crow!

this sleek and handsome wrestler is truly an intimidating force. with its iridescent plumage and sharp wit, the american crow is feared and revered by all. it's best known for it's distinctive call, a loud and might "caw-caw-caw", but american crows are also known to be some of the better mimics of the bird world. listen to that call, folks! it's the call of the wild, the call of the american crow! and when it's in the ring, it's a force to be reckoned with!

IN THE RED CORNER, we have the record scratch of the bird world. give it up for the brown headed cowbird!

this mafioso is the bad boy of the bird world. not only are they brood parasites, laying their eggs in other birds' nests. what sets them apart is what's called "mafia behavior" - parents will continue to watch their host's nests and will retaliate by destroying the nest if the host gets rid of the cowbird egg. now, this bird call might not sound like anything special to you, ladies and gentlemen, but there's something very special about it. young cowbirds don't grow up learning how to be a cowbird by copying their parents. what's really special is that they imprint on their host species until they hear a special call, which is called a "password vocalization", that makes them start leaving the host nest and seek out other cowbirds. you don't see something like that every day!

#birds #american crow #crow #brown headed cowbird #ornithology #bird calls