The Parasite

Yes, by the way, it has been brought to my attention that my spelling and grammer need work.

In the meantime I have a new bird to share. This time I would like to thank Bluew. Somehow his curiosity towards the window drew my attention and I had to check it out. There was a interesting bird call that I am not familiar with. It started in a quick high pitch and then followed with a quick bright shrill pitch.

When I looked I saw three black colored birds grazing together mildly and near by a brown colored bird. At first I thought the sound was not them but then I saw... one of the black colored birds... like a grackle but the tail was the wrong shape and with a brown head ... bowed his head and quickly spread his wings out a bit as he emitted this two pitch squeel of a call.

A moment later another did the same and then another. The brown bird near by could have passed for a sparrow out of the corner of my eye but that was not correct either.

I thought to myself "brown head ... brown headed cowbird?" They saw me watching them and flew off, all three males and the brown female and an additional female from nearby. I thought to myself so this is how they do it and ran to the computer to check my ID skills out.

You see cowbirds are parasites who will not raise their own young. As a rule they deposit their eggs in unsuspecting nest of other bird species. When the quick hatchling cowbird is out it pushes out the competition and greedily uses the paternal and maternal insincts of the hosts to gain food and maturity.

Now I think I know how it is they meet up with each other and try and hook a date in the adult bird world.

For a look check out my handy link. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4950id.html