Difference between revisions of "Field Guide/Birds/Molothrus ater"

Latest revision as of 20:13, 5 July 2012

Molothrus ater (Brown-headed Cowbird)
Male
Female	A Brown-headed Cowbird egg in an Eastern Phoebe nest.
Description
Adults have a short finch-like bill and dark eyes. The adult male is mainly iridescent black with a brown head. The adult female is grey with a pale throat and fine streaking on the underparts. Breeding in open or semi-open country across most of North America, this bird is a brood parasite: it lays its eggs in the nests of other small perching birds, particularly those that build cup-like nests, such as the Yellow Warbler. The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young. Brown-headed Cowbirds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico. They often travel in flocks, sometimes mixed with Red-winged Blackbirds or European Starlings. These birds forage on the ground, often following grazing animals such as horses and cows to catch insects stirred up by the larger animals. They mainly eat seeds and insects. At one time, the Brown-headed Cowbird followed the bison herds across the prairies. Their parasitic nesting behavior complemented this nomadic lifestyle. Their numbers expanded with the clearing of forested areas and the introduction of new grazing animals by settlers across North America. Brown-headed Cowbirds are now commonly seen at suburban birdfeeders. Brown-headed Cowbird females can lay 36 eggs in a season. Over 140 different species of birds are known to have raised young cowbirds. Host parents may sometimes notice the cowbird egg. Different species react in different ways. Gray Catbirds destroy the egg by pecking it. Some species may simply build a new layer over the bottom of the original nest. Brown-headed cowbird nestlings are sometimes expelled from the nest.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Taxobox
+{{Bird id
-| color = blue
+| name = Brown-headed Cowbird
-| name = Brown-headed Cowpoop
+| latin_name = Molothrus ater
-| status = LC
+| level = 4
-| image = Brown-Headed Cowbird.jpg
+| image_1 = Brown-Headed Cowbird.jpg
-| image_caption = Male
+| caption_1 = Male
-| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
+| image_2 = Molothrus ater1.jpg
-| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
+| caption_2 = Female
-| classis = [[bird|Aves]]
+| image_3 = Cowbird egg.JPG
-| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
+| caption_3 = A Brown-headed Cowbird egg in an Eastern Phoebe nest.
-| familia = [[Icteridae]]
+| description = Adults have a short finch-like bill and dark eyes. The adult male is mainly iridescent black with a brown head. The adult female is grey with a pale throat and fine streaking on the underparts.
-| genus = '''''[[Cowbird|Molothrus]]'''''
-| species = '''''M. ater'''''
-| binomial = ''Molothrus ater''
-| binomial_authority = ([[Pieter Boddaert|Boddaert]], [[1783]])
-}}
-The '''Brown-headed Cowbird''' (''Molothrus ater'') is a small [[icterid]].
+Breeding in open or semi-open country across most of North America, this bird is a brood parasite: it lays its eggs in the nests of other small perching birds, particularly those that build cup-like nests, such as the Yellow Warbler. The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young.
-Adults have a short [[finch]]-like bill and dark eyes. The adult male is mainly [[Iridescence|iridescent]] black with a brown head. The adult female is grey with a pale throat and fine streaking on the underparts.
+Brown-headed Cowbirds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico. They often travel in flocks, sometimes mixed with Red-winged Blackbirds or European Starlings.
-Breeding in open or semi-open country across most of [[North America]], this [[bird]] is a [[brood parasite]]: it lays its [[Egg (biology)|egg]]s in the nests of other small [[passerine]]s (perching birds), particularly those that build cup-like nests, such as the [[Yellow Warbler]]. The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young.
+These birds forage on the ground, often following grazing animals such as horses and cows to catch insects stirred up by the larger animals. They mainly eat seeds and insects.
-Brown-headed Cowbirds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds [[bird migration|migrate]] to the southern [[United States]] and [[Mexico]]. They often travel in flocks, sometimes mixed with [[Red-winged Blackbird]]s or [[European Starling]]s.
+At one time, the Brown-headed Cowbird followed the bison herds across the prairies. Their parasitic nesting behavior complemented this nomadic lifestyle. Their numbers expanded with the clearing of forested areas and the introduction of new grazing animals by settlers across North America. Brown-headed Cowbirds are now commonly seen at suburban birdfeeders.
-These birds forage on the ground, often following grazing animals such as [[horse]]s and [[cattle|cow]]s to catch [[insect]]s stirred up by the larger animals. They mainly eat [[seed]]s and insects.
+Brown-headed Cowbird females can lay 36 eggs in a season. Over 140 different species of birds are known to have raised young cowbirds. Host parents may sometimes notice the cowbird egg. Different species react in different ways. Gray Catbirds destroy the egg by pecking it. Some species may simply build a new layer over the bottom of the original nest. Brown-headed cowbird nestlings are sometimes expelled from the nest.
+}}<noinclude>[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Transcluded Modules|{{FULLCHAPTERNAME}}]]</noinclude>
-At one time, the Brown-headed Cowbird followed the [[American Bison|bison]] herds across the [[prairie]]s. Their [[parasite|parasitic]] nesting behaviour complemented this [[nomad|nomadic]] lifestyle. Their numbers expanded with the clearing of forested areas and the introduction of new grazing animals by settlers across North America. Brown-headed Cowbirds are now commonly seen at suburban birdfeeders.
-[[image:Cowbird_egg.JPG |left|thumb|200px|Cowbird Egg in [[Eastern Phoebe]] nest]]
-Brown-headed Cowbird females can lay 36 eggs in a season. Over 140 different species of birds are known to have raised young cowbirds. Host parents may sometimes notice the cowbird egg. Different species react in different ways. [[Gray Catbird]]s destroy the egg by pecking it. Some species may simply build a new layer over the bottom of the original nest. Brown-headed cowbird nestlings are sometimes expelled from the nest.
-<br clear=all/>
-==References==
-{{commons|Molothrus ater}}
-* {{IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=54175|title=Molothrus ater|downloaded=05 May 2006}} Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
-==External links==
-* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=9719 Brown-headed Cowbird videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
-* [http://sdakotabirds.com/species/brown_headed_cowbird_info.htm South Dakota Birds - Brown-headed Cowbird Information and Photos]
-[[Category:Brood parasites]]
-[[Category:Molothrus]]
-[[Category:Avifauna of Quebec]]
-[[de:Braunkopf-Kuhstärling]]
-[[fr:Molothrus ater]]
-[[nl:Bruinkop-koevogel]]
-[[ja:コウウチョウ]]
-[[no:Brunhodetrupial]]