Those are the first lines of a song written in 1979 by Bill Staines, once a regular on Garrison Keillor's radio show. The brown-headed cowbird, our resident cowbird, does have a place in the choir, ...

Black birds with a greenish sheen and brown heads sometimes visit my yard during spring migration. These are male brown-headed cowbirds, and they often arrive in mixed flocks of red-winged blackbirds ...

Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays its eggs in the nests of ...

In late spring and early summer, birds are busy building nests and raising their young. However, one exception is the freeloading Brown-headed Cowbird, laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, a ...

Brown-headed cowbirds are generalist brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of many other bird species and letting the host parents raise their young. A new study seeks to understand the ...

It’s that time of year here in our neck of Pennsylvania when it’s prime nesting season for our feathered friends. Case in point: Our home in Northbrook is now surrounded by nesting birds. These ...

Thorington, K. K., Bowman, R., and Fleischer, Robert C. 2007. "Molothrus ater (Brown-headed Cowbird) lays egg in artificial nest in highlands County, Florida ...

Every spring I get reports from astonished readers describing a small bird feeding a much larger, obviously begging chick. Can you explain this, readers ask. The answer is “brood parasitism.” ...

Some consider brown-headed cowbirds to be a threat. Setting up backyard bird feeders and birdbaths is an easy way to enjoy birdwatching in your yard while supporting local bird populations. However, ...

While most birds spend their time gathering twigs, leaves and branches to prepare their nests for their young ones, some lazy ...