Their diet consists mostly seeds and insects. Seeds (including those of grasses, weeds, and waste grain) make up about half of diet in summer and more than 90% in winter. Rest of diet is mostly insects, especially grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars, plus many others, also spiders and millipedes.
Centuries ago this bird probably followed bison herds on the Great Plains, feeding on insects flushed from the grass by the grazers. Today it follows cattle, and occurs abundantly from coast to coast. Its spread has represented bad news for other songbirds: Cowbirds lay their eggs in nests of other birds. Heavy parasitism by cowbirds has pushed some species to the status of "endangered" and has probably hurt populations of some others. Audubon field guide
As Bob says "they're just trying to make a living like the rest of us".
Linking to Stewart's blog WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY~~~HERE
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14 comments:
It's fascinating that these birds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, and it's such a shame that they may be endangering other species. I'd love to know why they do that. I wonder if we'll ever know why.
Great photos!
Have a beautiful day!
Lea
you showed their beauty well!
Beautiful captures!
Nice shots! I agree, they are just trying to make a living :-) But they're refusing to pay rent. LOL
Not anything like what OUR cow birds look like :O)
I don't know if we see them here. They are pretty!
I don't mind a few cowbirds, but this past winter you would not believe how Many came to my feeders. They could wipe out a gallon of bird feed within an hour or two!
I wonder if their behavior changed when their habitat did?
Lovely to see male female and young in your great shots and the info.
Nice post - and I agree with the 'just making a living' idea.
If I had humming birds in my garden, I don't think I would ever get to work!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
There is a large population of cowbirds living near the elementary school my grandkids attended. The sad part was when I would pick them up from school and they would bring home eggs that they found on the playground that had been pushed out of other birds' nests by these birds.
Nicely done, MB. Our cowbirds are white. Must be different cowbirds.
I've seen Cowbirds in Powell River as well. - Margy
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