Cowbirds have an unsavory reputation. As many readers know, they make no nests. Females lay their eggs in the nest of some host species, which can be almost anything from a warbler to a crow. The host ...

A chuckling gurgle and a squeaky whistle announce the presence of one of nature's oddest and most maligned birds, the brown-headed cowbird. They're a native species but have an alien-like habit: They ...

America's brown-headed cowbird and the European cuckoo are the classic parasitic birds, laying their eggs in the nests of other bird species and leaving the chick-rearing to another parent.

Female brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) singing at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge near New York City. (Credit: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0) Brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, are fascinating ...

It’s an odd sight; a small bird like a Carolina wren, song sparrow, house finch or Eastern phoebe is seen feeding a much larger begging bird. I have seen this a few times lately, and so have some of ...