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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.
The genus was introduced by English naturalist William Swainson in 1832 with the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) as the type species. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek mōlos , meaning "struggle" or "battle", with thrōskō , meaning "to sire" or "to impregnate". [ 4 ]
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The eastern phoebe is occasionally host to the nest-parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). ... Immature birds in a nest, Norman, Oklahoma. Older fledglings ...
Kirtland's warbler is highly susceptible to nest parasitism by this cowbird. [30] Brown-headed cowbirds feed mostly on seeds from grasses and weeds, with some crop grains. Insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, often caught as cows and horses stir them into movement, make up about a quarter of a cowbird's diet.
Choose from an Eastern Bluebird, a Downy Woodpecker, a Baltimore Oriole, and a Brown-headed Cowbird. Kansas is the perfect opportunity to add some breadth to your birding journal. 21. Michigan
Song sparrows' nests are parasitized by the brown-headed cowbird. The cowbirds' eggs closely resemble song sparrows' eggs, although the cowbirds' eggs are slightly larger. Song sparrows recognize cowbirds as a threat and attack the cowbirds when they are near the nest. There is some evidence that this behavior is learned rather than instinctual ...
Different host species show different responses to their nests being parasitised, with behaviours ranging from accepting and caring for the cowbird eggs, to rejecting the eggs from the nest. [2] As the shiny cowbird is an effective generalist brood parasite, it can be considered the South American counterpart to the brown-headed cowbird. [6]