The Travels of Tug 44


Brown-Headed Cowbird






The Brown-Headed Cowbird eats mostly bugs and seeds, and is sometimes seen following cows in their pastures to catch bugs stirred up by the larger animals. They often lay their eggs in the nests of other birds such as Warblers. The male (right) is black with a brown head and the female (left) is mostly brown.   high-res



This is the male Brown-Headed Cowbird, with a black body and brown head.   high-res



As with many birds, if you catch them in the right light, they reflect brightly in the sun.   high-res



This is a newly-fledged baby Brown-Headed Cowbird. Notice this one still has a tiny trace of the baby beak, at the corner of the mouth. It's able to fend for itself at this point, but still prefers to beg from the parents.   high-res



This baby Brown-Headed Cowbird is a bit older than the previous one, the beak is fully formed and it arrived without the parents. It's likely living on its own at this age.   high-res



By late August the babies are starting to molt and the adult feathers are coming in.   high-res

The Brown-Headed Cowbird, a parasitic nester.




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