Cowbird I think

[Second Hand Pat]

I have noticed a weird dark bird eating in the front yard with the regulars. I pretty sure it is a cowbird. Not sure I have ever seen one before.

DZ9_4940-Edit.jpg

[brewmaster15]

Yep.. cowbird. Thats the male.

Al

[Second Hand Pat]

Yep.. cowbird. Thats the male.

Al

Thanks Al, are these the guys who lay their eggs in other's nests?
Pat

[brewmaster15]

Yes.. they lay their eggs in other birds nests and the host bird then raises the cowbird baby. The baby cowbird will usually push all the other host birds young out of the nest or just out compete for food. The cowbird parasitizes somewhere around 40+ species of birds. I have seen them use phoebes and chipping sparrows here.

[brewmaster15]

Heres a chipping sparrow that raised one.. the young cowbird is very demanding on the smaller species it parasitizes..

2023-02-16_08-33-31.jpg

2023-02-16_08-35-14.jpg


2023-02-16_08-35-31.jpg

[LizStreithorst]

great catch, Al. They are very common down here and we all hate them.

[Second Hand Pat]

Great pics Al and huge demand on the smaller birds who end up with the cowbird chicks. So are these guys are in your area also? I read that cowbirds have expanded their range from SA.
Pat

[brewmaster15]

They are here.. these birds are survivors. By being able to use so many other birds like this they are able to focus on feeding themselves ensuring higher survival rates.
They are not good for declining song bird populations at all... but they are also just doing what they are meant to do. It saddens me when I see them using other birds like that...birds that are in decline species wise. Its just one more contributing factor to their decline.

But...not meaning to stir up controversary here.. ultimately we do more harm than the cowbirds to song birds. As a bird watcher it does all sadden me. One can only hope that these little tenacious dinosaurs continue to survive against the odds.

[Second Hand Pat]

They are here.. these birds are survivors. By being able to use so many other birds like this they are able to focus on feeding themselves ensuring higher survival rates.
They are not good for declining song bird populations at all... but they are also just doing what they are meant to do. It saddens me when I see them using other birds like that...birds that are in decline species wise. Its just one more contributing factor to their decline.

But...not meaning to stir up controversary here.. ultimately we do more harm than the cowbirds to song birds. As a bird watcher it does all sadden me. One can only hope that these little tenacious dinosaurs continue to survive against the odds.

Agreed Al, us humans are the worst species in the history of this planet. If we continue on this current course we will be responsible for our own demise.
Pat

[dagray]

We have flocks of them here in Oregon (all over the state)... some of them have met their demise via pellet rifles to be used as bait for other vermin like coyotes.

We also have Starlings out the wazzoo .... and these will decimate a cherry orchard if not stopped.

That said I feed the hummingbirds and other birds so I can watch them, and occasionally photograph them.