The Brown Headed Cowbird

Yesterday evening a flock of 4 - 6 black birds with brown necks and heads ascended upon my bird feeder. These birds were smaller than crows and were scraggly and unattractive.

They were bigger than the birds that usually visit the feeder and there was something unsettling about them. I felt like I was in a scene from the old Alfred Hitchcock thriller The Birds. (Yes, I was in the house and well protected but these birds were still odd and bothered me.)

The folks in this movie weren't initially worried about the birds either!

I did some research and found out that the birds are Brown Headed Cowbirds. At first I thought the name was made up as it was too funny of a name. But as I read on I found that these birds are parasitic - meaning that they don't make their own nests and they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. While doing this they often remove one of the nest's original eggs in the process.

The baby Brown Headed Cowbirds hatch before the other birds do and then they get all of the food and attention from the parents of the nest. Meanwhile the cowbird parents are out and about enjoying themselves child free. These birds have contributed to the decline of many songbird populations.

So, my nice little bird feeder - which should only provide me with relaxation and happiness - has now introduced me to a whole new world of bird behavior and the seedy (ha ha - seedy - bird seed - ha ha) underside of our feathered friends.

Here are some pictures of this bird:


The Brown Headed Cowbird - they do look mean!