Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Brown-headed cowbird

We spotted a brown-headed cowbird on yesterday's walk at the Museum of Science and Industry:
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/brown-headed-cowbird 

Photo: Marge Ishmael

Audobon: Centuries ago this bird probably followed bison herds on the Great Plains, feeding on insects flushed from the grass by the grazers. Today it follows cattle, and occurs abundantly from coast to coast. Its spread has represented bad news for other songbirds: Cowbirds lay their eggs in nests of other birds. Heavy parasitism by cowbirds has pushed some species to the status of "endangered" and has probably hurt populations of some others.

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