Brown-headed Cowbird
(Molothrus ater)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B - Secure SNRB - Unranked Breeding |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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7½″ to 8¾″ in length |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Woodland edges, fields, prairies, meadows. |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common to abundant |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Icteridae (American blackbirds, orioles, New World blackbirds) | ||
Genus |
Molothrus (cowbirds) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Sagebrush Cowbird (Molothrus ater artemisiae) Eastern Cowbird (Molothrus ater ater) California Cowbird (Molothrus ater californicus) Dwarf Cowbird (Molothrus ater obscurus) |
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Synonyms |
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| Visitor Photos | |||
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| Kirk Nelson | |||
Under the bird feeders near the Visitors’ Center |
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| Ramona Abrego | |||
Spring mating ritual |
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| Lynn Rubey | |||
A female Brown-headed Cowbird in a young sapling in The Big Stone Nation Wildlife Refuge. |
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
Male |
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Female |
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| Slideshows | ||
| Brown-headed Cowbird JMC Nature Photos |
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| Brown-headed Cowbird jt893x |
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| Brown-headed Cowbird Joshua Mayer |
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About
Molothrus ater |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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| Other Videos | |||
| Brown-headed Cowbirds (Icteridae: Molothrus ater) Juveniles Carl Barrentine |
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About
Published on Aug 6, 2012 Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (06 August 2012). |
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| Brown-headed Cow Bird videofilmik |
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About
Uploaded on May 1, 2011 The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat about March/April.[1] They resemble New World orioles in general shape but have a finch-like head and beak. 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. (wikipedia) |
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| Brown-headed Cowbird (Icteridae: Molothrus ater) Female Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 25, 2009 Photographed near the Kellys Slough NWR, North Dakota (25 June 2009). |
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| Brown-headed Cowbird (Icteridae: Molothrus ater) Male Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 24, 2009 Photographed near Kellys Slough NWR, North Dakota (24 June 2009). |
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| Visitor Sightings | ||||
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Kirk Nelson 6/7/2020 |
Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Long Meadow Lake Unit Under the bird feeders near the Visitors’ Center |
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| M. Dunne 6/23/2020 |
Location: Central Bloomington near 86th & Penn Ave So Had never seen this bird before. It was unmistakably a male B-H Cowbird in our yard eating seed from a feeder |
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| Ramona Abrego | Location: Washington County Spring mating ritual |
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| Lynn Rubey 5/23/2019 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A female Brown-headed Cowbird in a young sapling in The Big Stone Nation Wildlife Refuge. |
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| LoriMinnesota 4/27/2017 |
Location: Arlington, Minnesota (Sibley County) I have never seen this bird before and had to come to this site to figure out what it was. Today, I have a half a dozen of them pecking at seeds on the ground that fell under my bird feeder. |
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
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Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Clinton Falls Dwarf Trout Lily SNA Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA Minnesota Valley NWR, Black Dog Preserve Unit Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, Lawrence Unit Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge |
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