Brown-headed Cowbird – 4/7/14

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 4/7/14

Observation Time: 12:10 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond area near soccer fields

Common Name: Brown-headed Cowbird

Scientific Name: Molothrus ater

Comments: These Brown-headed Cowbirds were mating. Cowbirds parasitize other bird species. Female Cowbirds forgo building nests and instead lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, abandoning their young to foster parents, usually at the expense of at least some of the host’s own chicks. Once confined to the open grasslands of middle North America, cowbirds have surged in numbers and range as humans built towns and cleared woods.

More Information: All About Birds.org