Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbird ~Photography by Caitlyn Sippel

The Brown-headed Cowbird used to be a bird of the Great Plains and would follow large herds of bison, preying on the insects that the bisons' hooves would stir up from the ground. Due to suburban development and forest clearance, the brown-headed cowbird is now found continent-wide. Because of its parasitic tendencies to lay its own eggs in other birds’ nests, it is becoming a threat to North American songbirds, allowing other species to raise their fledglings as well. They live up to 16 years, fly in large flocks, grow to 15-20 cm long and have a wingspan of 28-33 cm.

Voice:

Brown-headed Cowbirds sing in high-pitched whistles and bubbling notes, dub-dub-come-tzeee, but they also cluck.

Watch this video to hear the Brown-headed Cowbird's voice:

Nesting:

They have no nest because they lay their eggs in other species nests. One female can lay 25-55 eggs per season between April and August.

Feeding:

Brown-headed Cowbirds mainly eat grass seeds and cereal grains, but they especially love grasshoppers and beetles when available.