Bonanza Bird #8: The Brown-headed Cowbird

Birdorable Brown-headed Cowbird

For 18 days we're adding a new Birdorable bird every day as part of our Birdorable Bonanza 2010. Today's bird is the Brown-headed Cowbird! Brown-headed Cowbirds are well-known (and well-disliked!) for being brood parasites. This means they do not make their own nests. Instead, females lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. With this strategy, young Brown-headed Cowbirds are raised by the host parents, which can be as small as Yellow Warblers; more than 140 different species of birds have been seen raising baby Brown-headed Cowbirds. And cowbird adults don't have to deal with defending territories, building nests, or finding enough food to feed a brood of babies. The cowbird's "cunning," however, is the reason it is widely reviled. Because of some methods scientists believe cowbirds use to keep their host nest families in line, Brown-headed Cowbirds have been described as "Gangster Birds." Cowbirds can't really be blamed for their unusual species survival method, though. In fact, factors like prairie habitat loss, the wide extirpation of American Bison, and other human-influenced variables may contribute to Brown-headed Cowbirds turning to a wider variety of parasitic hosts.

Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird by nikonjim

Tomorrow's bird is a large Australian parrot. Can you guess what it is?

Comments

dominic morrell on July 14, 2010 at 8:35 AM wrote:
sulphur-crested cockatoo?
Birdorable on July 14, 2010 at 9:06 AM wrote:
No, it's not a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (we already have a Yellow-crested Cockatoo aka Lesser Sulphur-crested). Tomorrow's bird is greyish / blue allover.
Ashira on July 14, 2010 at 10:09 AM wrote:
How cute! ^___^ Wow, that is a HUGE crest. Definitely some sort of cockatoo, I'd say. :3 Unfortunately, I'm complete rubbish at identifying parrots. D:
dominic morrell on July 14, 2010 at 1:51 PM wrote:
Palm cockatoo! I admit i hat to use multiple search engines.
Ashira on July 14, 2010 at 5:05 PM wrote:
Y'know, I was going to guess that but I thought they already had one. I guess not. :3
Louise Warner on February 25, 2017 at 12:46 PM wrote:
plam cockatoo
Louise Warner on February 25, 2017 at 12:46 PM wrote:
plam cockatoo
Spurwing Plover on June 19, 2022 at 7:20 AM wrote:
They used to call them Buffalo Birds

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