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Brown-Headed Cowbird


Male
Juvenile in the process of molting to adult plumage
Female
Juvenile
The Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a member of the blackbird family.  It ranges from 7 to 8.25 inches long.  The male is black overall with an iridescent sheen.  It has a brown head and a short, conical bill.  The female has grayish brown upperparts, and is pale grayish brown underneath with faint streaking.  She has a faint dusky malar (mustache) mark.  The juveniles look like the females, but are paler overall.  Juvenile upperparts have pale edging, giving a scaly effect while the underparts are streaky and the throats are gray-white.

The song is a gurgling, water-like, glug-glug-glee.  The Brown-Headed Cowbird is considered a parasitic species.  It lays its eggs in the nest of other birds, usually one egg at a time in various nests. 

The Brown-Headed Cowbird is considered common in woodlands, forest edges, and agricultural areas.  It eats insects, caterpillars, and various grains, seeds, and fruits.  It will come to feeders for small seeds.

Click here for additional information and a range map.

Click on the player below to hear the Brown-Headed Cowbird.

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  • Home
  • Animals
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plants
    • Native Plant Societies
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protists
  • Nature Products Store
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Madbird Feeder Cam
  • Ramblings of the Madbird Biologist
  • Bird Videos
  • News in Science
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • Resources
  • About Me