Cowbirds are special among songbirds for the "watery" timbre of their singing, which resembles the sound of falling droplets striking water, a quick burst followed by a fading ripple. University of ...

Unlike most other bird species, the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species and leaves the host to raise its young—a behavior known as brood parasitism.

Female brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) singing at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge near New York City. (Credit: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0) Brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, are fascinating ...

Cowbirds are special among songbirds for the “watery” timbre of their singing, which resembles the sound of falling droplets striking water, a quick burst followed by a fading ripple. University of ...

Setting up backyard bird feeders and birdbaths is an easy way to enjoy birdwatching in your yard while supporting local bird populations. However, food and water supplies may also attract birds you ...

Black birds with a greenish sheen and brown heads sometimes visit my yard during spring migration. These are male brown-headed cowbirds, and they often arrive in mixed flocks of red-winged blackbirds ...

Researchers at the University of Illinois have shown through a multi-year study that cowbirds (Molothrus ater) conform to Bateman's Principle, which holds that reproductive success is greater in males ...

Most songbirds learn to sing by copying songs they hear around them. But young brown-headed cowbirds face a problem: they aren't raised by their own kind. Female cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests ...

Cowbirds are common in the Skiatook area, and in winter they can be seen in large flocks, together with other kinds of blackbirds. The full name is brown-headed cowbird to distinguish it from two ...