Woodline Ranch Avian Life Directory

Brown-Headed Cowbird

Molothrus ater

North America's most famous obligate brood parasite. Females lay their eggs in the nests of other songbirds, leaving host species to raise their chicks.

Field Identification: Male: glossy black body with a rich chocolate-brown head. Female: plain dull greyish-brown overall with a short stout bill.

Texas & Hill Country Notes: Cowbirds evolved alongside bison herds, migrating constantly and developing brood parasitism because they could not stay in one place to raise a nest. A single female cowbird can lay up to 40 eggs per summer across nests of over 220 different songbird species.

Taxonomy & Status

Family: Troupials and Allies (Icteridae)

Order: Passeriformes

Residency: Year-round Resident

Conservation: Least Concern

Habitat & Diet

Habitat: Pastures, Livestock Edges & Savannas

Diet: Grass Seeds, Waste Grain, Grasshoppers, Beetles

eBird Code: bnhcow

🪹 Nesting & Life History in Texas Hill Country

Nests in Texas Hill Country habitat around Woodline Ranch.

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