Meet the new neighbors at The Holler!
The Brown Headed Cowbird is a parasitic brooder.
Females of this species produce up to 36 eggs per season, and lay the eggs in other bird’s nests to be raised.
They have the most unusual vocalizations, sounding something like underwater bells. No one knows how they know how to sing since they don’t learn it from their parents. Listen to samples of their song:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown-headed_Cowbird/sounds
This Lark Sparrow is also a new neighbor.
They look similar to female grosbeaks,
except for their distinctive harlequin hats!
Cheers to you from The Holler newbies~
Intersting !!!🐦
Glad you enjoyed დ
Property value definitely going up. 😉
Due to the high caliber of the neighbors!! 😉 😉
Cowbirds and crows! The songbird’s enemy. I once saw a yellow-rumped warbler feeding a cowbird chick that was bigger than she was. But you do have some beautiful birds living near you.
Amazing that you saw that! I read they even deposit eggs in hummingbird nests. Murders of ravens are an issue here now. They are over-populated and raid the nestlings every night at the same time. It is sad to watch. The parental birds defend valiantly, but they are way out numbered and outsized. I actually thought of getting a drone to chase the ravens off დ
It’s so frustrating to be helpless and watch that going on.
Terrible feeling.
Do you also have magpies down your way?
We do not. I wish we did. They brought me presents in Jasper National Park! დ
Cowbirds (and starlings) don’t rank high on my list, but I suppose they have their place. Their song has similar tones to a bobolink, another bird of the blackbird family, which DO rank high on my list, hehe!
I have never seen a bobolink and would love too! დ
Their sound is indescribable – kind of like a melodious, bubbly catonk-ing! And of course, the males are very handsome. I’ve counted 6 pairs in the hay field up the road. Quite a thrill as they are in steep decline.
Sounds fascinating!
Very beautiful photos, as usual, Cindy! I have never seen the cowbird nor heard it, it’s call is very quiet. ❤️
Thank you very much John, and, yes, the call has a muted quality and is quite distinctive. დ
Great shots.
Thank you very much Marie დ
I have never heard of cowbirds before so went to look up more information. They go to great lengths to preserve their species – 36 eggs!!! WOW.
Yes, fascinating birds and new here at The Holler. There are now lots of them! Cheers to you Rebecca დ
I like the chorus. Individually their song is shrill. 🙂
They have on ululating melodious call that I find most distinctive. It sounds like medium timbered bells ringing under water დ
We are over-run with Brown-headed Cowbirds here, and I will admit to chasing them off whenever I see them. Forest fragmentation has given them a huge advantage (they’re edge dwellers) and because of their bourgeoning numbers, they put songbirds that nest here at peril.
Somehow, they find each other once they’ve fledged…they congregate in great flocks as adults, and maybe that’s where they learn to sing…from each other?
The Lark Sparrow is an absolute beauty! 😍
How interesting. Raised by other species, but connecting together in flocks after fledging. They were never here before, but in a matter of days, I am seeing more and more. I am having problems with the ravens that are attacking nests every evening before sunset in great murders of birds. Accurate name for flocks of ravens. Their population is out of control. We have really mucked up our ecosystems placing so many species at risk. It is very sad. Western tortoises are nearly extinct in this area because Ravens punch through their shells and eat them. დ
Oh no! That’s so very sad about the explosion of the raven population and the havoc they’re wreaking. 😢 I wonder if scientists and conservation groups are studying what could be done to restore some balance (or if anything else we do might mess things up even more)? It’s all so disheartening…
Yes, scientists are studying. They came up with a non-lethal laser that annoys ravens, but doesn’t hurt them, and makes them leave the area. It is not a real solution. I am going to try to chase them off the trees with nests with a drone. It should be interesting.
I hope that worked for you!
Smiling. It didn’t of course, which is a good thing. Stay well my friend დ
Beauties! Love the tilted head.
I love it too. They people watch and display their curious personalities დ
You do a fantastic job of revealing those personalities through your perfectly snapped photos.
Your kindness is so appreciated Michele. Thank you & be well დ
Love the captures of the cowbird… looks like he could be in our territory. I’ll be keeping an eye out. Thanks for the link to the sound recordings. I’m thinking I may have seen that particular sparrow here, but with fading eyesight it’s getting a bit sketchy on specific ID these days. 💞
If you spot one let me know. Sparrows flock around together, but there are distinctive species and they are sometimes difficult to differentiate დ
The cowbird song is incredibly high-pitched. I don’t think I’ve ever specifically heard their vocalisations before. They can be incredibly tough on the songbirds, but the parasites have their place as well. Cheers.
This is the first time I have seen them here. Now there are lots of them. I have read they even lay eggs in hummingbird nests! დ
The Lark Sparrow looks very pretty. I like him! <3
Stay safe, dear Cindy!
Yes I love the Lark Sparrow too. Such distinctive markings and such pretty birds. You stay safe & well too my friend დ
What a beautiful song the cowbird sings, Cindy! Much better than the cardinals who SHOUT at me far too early in the morning…
I would so love to be shouted at by Cardinals for a least a few mornings!! 😉
The trouble is – how to get them to stop!
I hear you.
Stunning photos of your new feathered neighbours
So appreciated Sheree. Thank you & cheers! დ
Such a variety of birds you have at the Holler. A beautiful world you have around you!
We have over 500 species of birds here. Most of the species I have never seen, but new ones do keep showing up which keeps things interesting. There is a tiny ground bird here now that I have never seen before. I am going to try and identify it დ
You live in like a Nature Reserve as we would call it here in the UK.
We do and I love it.
Beautiful
Grazie mille დ
Those females are smart!
Laughing…. დ
Pingback: Newbies~ — (another batch of new birds, from Cindy) | Rethinking Life
You are a lovely person and friend Gigi. Sincere thank you! დდ
They are cool. I think “Brown Headed Cowbird” is smart to have other birds raise their youngs. I am wondering, if they come back to pick their youngs back afterward?
Interesting point. They do somehow congregate together in flocks as adults, so in some way they do reconnect დ
Sparrows of all kinds are a lot prettier than we often care to notice!
Very true and there are lots of different species amongst them დ
So much sweetness. Thank you Cindy! ❦
You deserve sweetness Resa. You are most welcome დ
Hello, Holler newbies! I didn’t think’d heard of cowbirds before until I read your comment about their laying eggs in other birds’ nests. I have read about them but never seen a photo.
I was surprised to spot them a few days ago. Now there lots of them! დ
The Holler does seem to be a welcoming place to land!
Same here. Martha Stewart is right, ‘we can learn new things everyday!’ 😉
These birds are great posers. And the cowbird is great singer.
Yes! Their song is so distinctive. When I first heard it, I was so puzzled დ
More avian delights – Derrick
Everyday is an avian day at The Holler! Take good care Derrick დ
Being Charly the Priest! Hello Cindy, it is me but with a differnt account(obviously and long story) nice to reconnect with all you people.
Love to reconnect with you Carlos & welcome back! დ
Nice to be back.
Have a great day
დდდ
Perfect capture, beautiful photos! Thanks, Cindy.
Thank you so much more Isabel for your kind and lovely comment დ
Such a strange song. I’ve been seeing some about.
That’s interesting. I hope you keep us posted about what they are doing დ
Brown Headed Cowbird?! It behaves like cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Probably these two are from the same Family of birds.
Could be. Our roadrunners are from the cuckoo family დ
Fun new neighbors you have Cindy. I enjoyed listening to their calls and songs.
I am glad you did Brad. The calls are so distinctive დ
Indeed! 🎶
I’ve never seen either, thanks for showing them. I do love hedge sparrows. Keep safe. 🧡
Sparrows are so varied, some very rare. I am happy you enjoyed seeing them. Stay safe and well my friend დ
Thanks Cindy. Have a great day! ♥
So much fun having new kids on the block, Cindy! Is there something going on that draws these new birds to The Holler? Will they become permanent, or are they migrating through? So many questions … sorry!
There is The Holler Spa, complete with bird bath, The Holler Seed Feeding Station, The Holler Nectar Feeders, and the grape jelly in the palm trees for everyone else. It is sort of a Vegas buffet for birds! Some stay year round, others migrate, waiting, I suspect, to return The Holler Buffet 😉 😉
Both of these are new to me love them both. 😍
I <3 my friends who <3 birds დდ
36 eggs!! Wow, no wonder she needs daycare! How interesting that they have a distinctive call even though they can’t have learned it. I like the little lark sparrow’s delicate markings!
“36 eggs!! Wow, no wonder she needs daycare!”
You so made me laugh!! No wonder indeed. Her neighbors, willingly, or not, are going to unwittingly raise those 36 hatchlings.
Maybe she goes and has a bunch of spa days whilst they do! 😉
Thanks for sharing this interesting bird Cindy, these birds never cease to amaze us as to their abilities. Beautiful photos of the Cowbird also.
Thank you. They are fascinating დ
Fascinating! I wonder how the other birds feel when a bird that is sort of a horse-of-a-different colour hatches
Often times the other chicks die, because the hatched cowbird chick is bigger, and demands more food, and the poor parents then struggle to feed a nest they can’t. Sad.
The reality of life sucks sometimes
True.
Are the new neighbors old neighbors just back for the first time this year? Or are they totally new? I wonder if global warming is playing a part. Wow, Cindy, I had no idea that cowbirds produced up to 36 eggs a year. I’m surprised they haven’t taken over the world. I also seem to remember that cowbirds push the legit eggs out of the nest? –Curt
These are totally new neighbors. It seems they might be on the way to taking over the nests of north America. They even lay eggs in hummingbird nests. დ
I can’t begin to imagine what the hummingbird would think. 🙂
😉
Cindy, you delight us with such stellar photography and bird sounds. We love our neighborhood birds and have provided shelter and food! Now that is a lot of eggs and using another bird’s nest is an interesting fact. You never disappoint with your beautiful posts. Happy Memorial Day Weekend. ox
Your very kind comments made me very happy I posted! Thank you Mary Ann and be safe and well my friend დ
Cindy, always a pleasure. Be well. Happy Memorial Day Weekend, lovely lady. ox
Welcome new neighbors! Can you imagine dropping eggs into another bird’s nest to be raised? Yikes! When E.B. White wrote “Charlotte’s Web”, part of the story is a conversation between Fern’s mother and the doctor, because Fern talked to the animals. The doctor talked about the miracle of animals. How does a spider know how to spin a web? The same can be said for how does a cowbird know how to sing? Nature is the greatest teacher.
Yes indeed Jennie! Nature is the greatest teacher, and the greatest puzzler. Wilbur was of course a most gifted pupil 😉
He was! And the wonders of nature keep us learning.
You get a lot of visitors, Cindy! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
The Holler is for the birds!! Cheers to you Amy დ
Beautiful new neighbours!
So awesome to hear from you! Hope all is well დ
Oh, they’re cuckoos then?
Nope. They are in the cowbird family.
Didn’t know that one.
Do cowbirds get the blues? 😉
Only if the cowgirls are depressed.
დ
Lovely new neighbors. The lark sparrow is one I have not seen before. Love their “hats.” 🙂
The Holler really does have the very best neighbors! Cheers & thanks for stopping by დ