Cowbird mothers abandon their eggs in the nests of other bird species, but the chicks somehow manage to find their flock and ...

When a female cowbird is ready to have a baby, she’ll stake out another bird’s nest, wait until the coast is clear, then slip ...

Because cowbird eggs require a shorter incubation period, and female cowbirds can lay more eggs than most wild birds, their chances of survival in host nests surpass those of the host’s own young.

Unlike most other bird species, the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species ...

Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays its eggs in the nests of ...

Cowbird incubation times are similar (10-11 days) although in a naturally parasitized nest, cowbirds typically hatch one day earlier than the hosts’ chicks, ...

Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays ...

Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays ...

Cowbird vocalizations also include a rapid chattery call. Brown-headed Cowbirds ground forage with their tail raised, looking for seeds, insects and other invertebrates.