Brown-headed Cowbird

Molothrus aterOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Blackbirds and Orioles (Icteridae)

Codes: Common Name: BHCO Scientific Name: MOLATE ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179112

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Overview

Brown-headed Cowbird: Small blackbird with glossy brown head, heavy bill, and dark eyes. The black body has a faint green sheen. Walks on ground to forage and holds tail cocked over back. Feeds on caterpillars, insects, spiders, fruits, grains and seeds. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Brown-headed Cowbird: Breeds throughout much of southern Canada and the U.S. Spends winters in central and southern parts of breeding range as well as in Florida. Habitat consists of agricultural lands, fields, woodland edges, and suburban areas.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Gurgling, liquid sounding glug-glug-glee.

Interesting Facts

Brown-headed cowbirds are brood parasites. They deposit their eggs in nests belonging to birds of other species. Some of the birds they parasitize remove the eggs from their nests or cover them with new nest material so that they are not incubated.

The cowbird eggs typically hatch earlier than their host’s eggs which gives them a competitive advantage over the other hatchlings.

Historically, cowbirds followed herds of migrating bison to take advantage of the food they kicked up in their wake. They are still associated to an extent with large mammals such as cows.

A group of cowbirds are collectively known as "a corral of cowbirds", and a "herd of cowbirds."

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Related Birds

Brewer's Blackbird
European Starling
Common Grackle
Shiny Cowbird
Bronzed Cowbird

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Brown-headed Cowbird

● Song: Gurgling, liquid sounding glug-glug-glee.

● Foraging & Feeding: Brown-headed Cowbird: Eats mostly seeds and arthropods. Forages on the ground, but sometimes hawks slow-flying insects.

● Breeding & nesting: Brown-headed Cowbird: Nest parasite; usually one brown flecked light blue egg is laid in the nest of another species of bird. As many as thirty-six eggs are laid per nesting season. Incubation ranges from 10 to 13 days and is carried out by the host. Altricial young usually hatch first and outcompete hosts’ young.

● Similar species: Brown-headed Cowbird: Bronzed Cowbird is slightly larger and has larger bill and red eyes. Male Shiny Cowbird is glossy black overall and has a purple sheen on head, back, and breast. Female has gray-brown upperparts.

Flight Pattern

Swooping direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Brown-headed Cowbird: Breeds throughout much of southern Canada and the U.S. Spends winters in central and southern parts of breeding range as well as in Florida. Habitat consists of agricultural lands, fields, woodland edges, and suburban areas.

^BreedingPromiscuous

^Population

^MigrationNorthern birds migrate

^Weight1.7 Ounces

Perching-like Body

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America