Slender, small, and without a pleasing call, these birds are very few people's favorites. They are also brood parasites, so they lay their eggs in other birds nests and thus largely pass on the parenting responsibilities, even at the expense of the other bird's eggs. There is supposedly documentation of Cowbirds conning Hummingbird and Raptors nests.
If ever this bird were to get it's own exclusive bird post, it would have to be on a Monday, coupled with all the other un-favorite things.
Despite their commonness around large, manicured grassy areas, the Brown-headed Cowbird is not a bird I photograph often or even very well. Yesterday I was able to snag a few shots of these unwelcome birds hanging out in one of my parents' trees. The photo below was taken by my younger brother too, who aided in the stake-out.
There's not a lot to say in their favor, though of course being birds they have a certain amount of coolness and impressiveness built into them. At least that bill would give a Grosbeak a run for its money. Somebody has to be the unpopular one I guess. The Cowbirds play the part of jerks so others don't have. Or maybe they just like it.
I'm pretty sure they like to play the part of jerks. Seriously though, the way cowbirds have adapted to the vagabond life of following herds of bison around the prairie is pretty darn impressive. We don't like them because 1. we anthropomorphize and we don't like people who abandon their children to murder the children of their foster parents, and 2. they are human commensals, and we don't like just about any human commensals. Also they don't look or sound pretty. Damn cowbirds.
ReplyDeleteIt's true it's true.
DeleteWhen birds remind us of the worst in us, then well, it makes us grumpy. Maybe if they were prettier we wouldn't mind the parasitism so much. Like you said, that doesn't detract from the impressive niche they've forged as much as occupied.
Nicely enough in Phoenix they're not overly common, so seeing Cowbirds still has a bit of gloss on it, and seeing Bronzed Cowbirds is a pretty solid find.
Ooooh! I got to participate in cowbird monday without even realizing. We had cowbirds visiting the feeders today. They frequently make an afternoon raid on the feeders along with the red-winged blackbirds and common grackles.
ReplyDelete"...though of course being birds they have a certain amount of coolness and impressiveness built into them." Truth.
Thanks heavens we're almost to Tyrranidae Tuesday.
DeleteExcellent! I need something to look forward as I plug away at my thesis writing.
DeleteAh. I should stop making up bird days then.
DeleteNooo! What on earth will I have to look forward to then?!
DeleteNon-alliterative non day-coordinated posts!
DeleteSo there won't be a warbler Wednesday? A thrasher Thursday? A flycatcher Friday? Songbird Saturday? Seagull Sunday?
DeleteYou could have had a Mot-mot Monday. I can't imagine anything better.
I need a more international connection I guess. Thanks for pointing out all the inadequacies of this site. We cant all be from Jersey ya know...
DeleteFine. It could also be Mimidae Monday.
DeleteFringillidae Friday also works. Thrush Thursday? Tern Tuesday... there are many options. You shouldn't let your western roots limit you.
And now you have me totally distracted. I just spent all this time looking for my mot-mot photos.
Apparently my prof didn't get the memo. He did Cowbird Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteProfessors are always behind the times.
DeleteThen again, he is a professor. Maybe I'm the one who's off...
I did think that, but I wasn't the one who said it.
DeleteIt was all birds, all day today. Birds in the morning, birds in the evening. The bird people frequently get mocked at the uni, but it's only cause no one else gets to study charismatic megafauna. So it was a nice change.
And when they mock you, they're only imitating MOckingbird behavior, so really they're the dorkiest of all.
DeleteI had considered that, too. It's all about birds really. That's why Cornell's website is All About Birds. They know.
Delete