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 ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Brown-headed cowbirds are generalist brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of many other bird species and letting the host parents raise their young. A new study seeks to ...

Q: Earlier in the summer I saw a very small bird feeding a much larger one. Is this something that happens — do some kinds of birds help out other species? A: This does happen in the bird world, but ...

FORT SILL, Okla. -- The brown-headed cowbird is one of those native birds that wasn't raised with good manners. And that's a problem for the black-capped vireo. You see, the vireo is an endangered ...

Cowbirds, the freeloading American blackbirds born in other birds’ nests, trick their foster parents into feeding them by letting their nest mates beg for food instead of killing them like the ...

Several people reported a strange sight at their feeders this past week. In all cases, a small bird was busily feeding a much larger begging bird. The smaller bird was indeed the parent. Unfortunately ...

Over a door in the quiet yard of a historic home in Newburyport, a drama is unfolding. A house finch couple built a nest, the female laid her eggs, and then a brown-headed cowbird showed up. Since ...

Brown-headed cowbirds are generalist brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of many other bird species and letting the host parents raise their young. A new study seeks to understand the ...