Brown-headed cowbirds (1 Viewer)

[columbidae]

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I had a couple of brown-headed cowbirds show up at my feeder. There were a male and a female, and today they are back with a second male. I don't mind them coming to eat, although I'm not crazy about their breeding habits.

Has anyone else had these birds show up, and if so, are they one of those species that will act agressive at the feeder and keep other birds away? So far I haven't seen any problem.

 

[oldsquaw]

Brown-headed cowbirds are not very aggressive like a jay or grackle. I get a few each year and have never had them chase anything.

 

[Candice]

I had one fly in one year among a huge flock of grackles, starlings and a lone red-winged blackbird. Then this year, I had several brown-headed cowbirds. They stayed for a few days and and then left. I have not seen them back for over a week.

Candice

 

[Paul Rule]

I know nothing about these birds, but I'm fascinated to know what these breading habits are that Dan is not to keen on.

Oh, and why are they called cowbirds, is it because they hang around near cows or is their song cow like?

 

[danysloan]

They do hang around cows. Also, in reference to their breeding habits, they do not make their own nest, but lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and when the cowbirds hatch, they are bigger than the hosts' chicks, which causes the cowbirds to push out the dimunitive youngings.

 

[T0ny]

The Common Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus, is a common European brood parasitic species, but unlike the Cowbird does not make a habit of coming to feeders.

Tony

 

[columbidae]

To add to what pleasesleep said concerning the cowbird's breeding habits, the cowbird population has expanded due to the expansion of its habitat (grassland/suburban) with forest clearing, and this in turn is causing the cowbird to threaten some of the songbird populations that it uses as its hosts.

 

[oldsquaw]

The historic brown-headed cowbird was a nomad ot the Great Plains from Texas north into Canada. They followed the buffalo heards and it was a prairie species. So, they mostly paracited prairie ground species. Man killed most of the buffalo and replaced them with large heards of cattle in in the buffalo's habitat and other areas in the 1850-80's. They have adapted to urban, forest, agricultural lands, and continue in the prairies. From my past reading, their most common paracitic nest user is the red-eyed vireo. I know for sure they are the cause of Kirtland's warbler and black-capped vireo's endangered status. The Fish & Wildlife Service has killed thousands of them in these two species natural habitat each year.

 

[Steve Gross]

Cowbirds are also personae non gratae (how's my Latin?) in the Texas Hill Country, where they've had a deleterious effect on the Black-capped Vireo and the Golden-cheeked Warbler, both endangered species.

Habitat destruction from development has created 'lanes' between sections of habitat, and cowbirds are found in their greatest densities along edges (ecotones). One will seldom find cowbirds in the middle of more dense habitat. As the lanes are formed, there is more edge for the cowbirds to exploit, hence the negative effects on indigenous bird species.

Also, regarding the Black-capped Vireo, specific densities of shin oak-type habitat are necessary for optimum breeding success, so the clearing of land through agricultural and other development (primarily home building) has added to both assaults on that species, cowbird exploitation of ecotones and the simple loss of habitat.

Steve in Houston

 

[backwoodshome]

Hi,
I realize these birds can be destructive. Luckily we've only had a couple show up. On the other hand, the cowbirds seem to have the most varied song that I've heard from all the birds in my yard.
I've sat in amazement listening to them. At first I thought all the different songs couldn't be coming from the same bird but they were. Just when I think I've heard all he has to offer he comes up with a new one! Has anyone else ever noticed this?

Kevin