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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Share your photo of this bird. |
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Kirk Nelson |
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Under the bird feeders near the Visitors’ Center |
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Ramona Abrego |
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Spring mating ritual |
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Lynn Rubey |
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A female Brown-headed Cowbird in a young sapling in The Big Stone Nation Wildlife Refuge. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Male |
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Female |
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Slideshows |
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| 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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Share your video of this bird. |
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Other Videos |
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| 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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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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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 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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