Birds › New World Blackbirds and Orioles
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
28 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Sounds
- Recording by Jonathon Jongsma (XC320357). CC-BY-SA · Source
Easily confused with
Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus
Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
Great-tailed GrackleQuiscalus mexicanus
Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus
Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| United States | 84,455 |
|---|---|
| Alaska | 52,308 |
| Canada | 15,870 |
| Texas | 11,865 |
| New Brunswick | 11,046 |
| California | 10,378 |
| Ontario | 8,088 |
| Nova Scotia | 6,910 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 6,466 |
| Illinois | 4,321 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Group and habits
- Seed eaterDescends from an animal lineage whose members commonly feed on seeds.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Brood parasiteListed by a harvested source as laying eggs in other species' nests.BIRDBASE avian traits database
Classification
| Kingdom | Animals · Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordates · Chordata |
| Class | Birds · Aves |
| Order | Perching Birds · Passeriformes |
| Family | New World Blackbirds and Orioles · Icteridae |
| Genus | Cowbirds · Molothrus |
Study it in a deck
- Birds of British Columbia, Canada
- Birds of Centre Wellington, Ontario, Canada
- Birds of Gallatin County, Montana, United States
- Birds of Ontario
- Birds of Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
- Birds of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
- Birds of Pennsylvania (Alkas)
- Birds of Pennsylvania, United States
Or build your own from the species near you.
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- Traits: BIRDBASE avian traits database (CC BY 4.0)
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise Brown-headed Cowbird with real photos from different observers and its recordings. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.