The brown-headed cowbird increased its range and population greatly during the early 1800s, when the eastern forests were cleared.

Some consider brown-headed cowbirds to be a threat. Setting up backyard bird feeders and birdbaths is an easy way to enjoy birdwatching in your yard while supporting local bird populations ...

Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays ...

Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays its eggs in the nests of ...

At first glance, it is easy to mistake a brown-headed cowbird for just another grackle. But it isn’t. That brown head is a dead giveaway. It is also smaller with a shorter tail. Its head is ...

Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays ...

Here at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, it’s cardinal season. For every 10 birds I see on our bird feeder, about nine of them are northern cardinals, and many of those ...

Outdoors Brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater. If birds had post offices, posters of brown-headed cowbirds would be pinned to bulletin boards, and described as “fertile and dangerous.” ...

But it seems the brown-headed cowbird excels at it, outsourcing the parenting work to more than 220 bird species, including the smaller-sized sparrows, grosbeaks and barn swallows.

The Brown-headed Cowbird lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, a behavior known as nest parasitism. The male has a shiny black body with a dark brown head. Rhododentrites (creativecommons.org ...