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Michigan - female bird? (1 Viewer)

qexnar

Member
United States
Hi - I spotted this bird today in southern Michigan, US. The drab color makes me assume its female, but all the usual suspects around here have more patterning then this one. If the pictures aren’t clear enough, it had a solid light grey back and solid light tan belly. Its almost is like a Junco but the coloring is all off.
 

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Hi. Yep, agree with, B h Cowbird - pale throat, finally streaked breast/belly/flank etc. The only similar/confusing species being, Shiny Cowbird, which, is quite rare, I believe, and has an overall darker reddish - brown appearance and very faint, if any, streaking to the belly flank etc..... also, has a darker, thinner bill.
 
An icterid (ie a blackbird-type). In N America, the bill-shape only fits brown-headed cowbird - and the obscure malar stripe (pic 2) nails it.
 
In Michigan, this is unquestionably a brown-headed cowbird. This time of year it is at least a year eight months old, so I think it's safe to identify as female.

edit; yep, juveniles (which look a lot like females) molt into "first winter plumage" (which is very similar to adult plumage) in their first autumn. Since you've got a few weeks until this year's juveniles start hatching, any female-looking cowbird you see today is definitely female.
 
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