Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Rio Grande City Starr County Texas United States 31 March Adult Male Icteridae

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Named for the brown hood possessed by the males, the female Brown-headed Cowbird is duller. Female cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving the nest owner to raise her young. This is known as nest parasitism. Cowbirds are named for their tendency to follow grazing cattle, feeding on the insects flushed up by the hooves of the cows. Historically, these birds followed herds of bison in the Great Plains of the midwestern United States.

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Size: 5300px × 3535px
Photo credit: © Rick & Nora Bowers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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