New Bird Sighting: Bronzed Cowbird

So, this guy landed in my yard today (it seems like I see a new bird a few times a week now!). At first I thought it was just a common grackle, which are extremely common in these parts. But I noticed right away that it was much smaller, and as you can see, it has intensely red eyes. I soon discovered that it was a bronzed cowbird.

It was really quite striking with its jet-black feathers and beautiful, if not a little creepy, eyes. But what was interesting was the way it would bunch up its neck feathers.

He kind of reminded me of Jon Snow in Game of Thrones when he wore the Night’s Watch cloak.

Sigh. I miss that show. But I digress.

Here is what Cornell Lab’s All About Birds has to say about this bird:

A compact, bull-necked bird of open country, the Bronzed Cowbird forages for seeds and grains on the ground, usually in flocks. In good light, the male shimmers with deep glossy blue on the wing and a black body with a velvety bronze sheen. Males and females have intense red eyes. Like their relatives, the smaller Brown-headed Cowbirds, these unusual birds are “brood parasites”—they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, leaving the hosts to provide all the care for their young.”

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bronzed_Cowbird/overview

Yeesh. I hate that they are “brood parasites.”

And here are some cool facts:

Both Brown-headed and Bronzed Cowbirds have expanded their ranges recently, and the two species now overlap extensively. Competition for host nests has been one result. Bronzed Cowbirds tend to lay eggs in the nests of larger species than the Brown-headed does—but people have reported many host nests containing the eggs of both cowbird species.

Many species of songbird that are regular hosts to Bronzed Cowbird eggs attack the cowbirds when they are near their nest, which suggests that they perceive the cowbird as a threat to the nest. Couch’s Kingbirds, Hooded Orioles, and Northern Mockingbirds are especially aggressive toward Bronzed Cowbirds.

At least 101 species of songbirds have been known to host Bronzed Cowbird eggs in their nests. These range in size from the small Golden-cheeked Warbler to the sizeable Green Jay.

Bronzed Cowbirds often parasitize the nests of orioles. Birders have noticed that the sound of an oriole singing in the springtime often brings in both male and female Bronzed Cowbirds.

The record for the number of Bronzed Cowbird eggs found in a single nest is 17.”

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bronzed_Cowbird/overview

Check out a previous New Bird Sighting.