Minnesota Seasons - Brown-headed Cowbird

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5B - Secure Breeding
N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

Minnesota

not listed

Description

Size

Total length: 7½″ to 8¾″

Voice

The call is a high-pitched, risingm seep or psee.

Similar Species

Habitat

Woodland edges, fields, prairies, meadows.

Ecology

Migration

Early March to early May and late July to November

Nesting

Food

Distribution

Occurrence

Common to abundant migrant and breeder in spring, uncommon migrant in fall; common to abundant breeder

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Taxonomy

Class

Aves (Birds)

Order

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Family

Icteridae (New World Blackbirds and Orioles)

Subfamily

Agelaiinae

Genus

Molothrus (Cowbirds)

Subordinate Taxa

Sagebrush Cowbird (Molothrus ater artemisiae)

Eastern Cowbird (Molothrus ater ater)

California Cowbird (Molothrus ater californicus)

Dwarf Cowbird (Molothrus ater obscurus)

Synonyms

Muluthrus ater

Oriolus ater

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Minnesota Seasons Photos

Slideshows

Brown-headed Cowbird
JMC Nature Photos

Brown-headed Cowbird
jt893x

Brown-headed Cowbird
Joshua Mayer

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Visitor Sightings

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Luciearl
1/8/2026

Location: Cass County

cowbird fed by sparrow

Nicola and Tom
9/9/2022

Location: Hampshire, UK

I live in Hampshire, UK.

Over the last week we have noticed 3 Brownheaded Cowbirds in our back garden.
We have listened to its song on your website and it looks and sounds the same. We have woods and fields near by as we live in a village location. We have both been trying to photograph them but without luck (novice birdwatcher and still learning photography)

We notice that one stays around for most of the day but the other 2 disappear quite quickly. The local blackbirds have been trying to shoo it away but he/she is standing their ground.

Can you tell us if they travel this far. There are reported sightings further north around 8 sightings in individual areas but we are near the coast but also inland in the south. If that makes sense.

Would be grateful for feedback.

Apologies if we have contacted you in error but found your website useful.

John Valo
9/9/2022

You already know as much as I have been able to find out. If you have sightings in Sheffield, it is only a matter of time before there are sightings further south. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.

I can’t help but think of the introduction of the European Starling into New York Central Park in 1890. Today the species is common across the continent. The birds eat berries and agricultural crops, and aggressively drive away native bird species. It is considered invasive.

Brown-headed Cowbird is a brood parasite. I expect it will become as unwelcome in your country as the European Starling is in ours.

Kirk Nelson
6/7/2020

Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Long Meadow Lake Unit

Under the bird feeders near the Visitors’ Center

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

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.

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.