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Shiny Cowbird

Molothrus bonariensisOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Blackbirds and Orioles (Icteridae)

Shiny Cowbird Breeding Male Portrait
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General

Shiny Cowbird: Small blackbird with purple sheen on head, back and breast. Eyes are dark. Female is brown overall with faint or no streaks. Juvenile resembles female but has streaked underparts.

Range and Habitat

Shiny Cowbird: Primarily a South American species, it spread through the West Indies and arrived in southern Florida in 1985. Casual from Texas to North Carolina. Accidental to Oklahoma, Maine, and Maritimes.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

No data available.

Interesting Facts

 The Shiny Cowbird first reached the United States in 1985 when a single male was seen in the Florida Keys. By the early 1990s they were considered permanent residents in southern Florida. In the next few years individuals were seen as far away as Texas and Virginia.

 They began expanding their range out of South America around 1900. Their spread was assisted by the removal of natural forest cover on Caribbean islands. They are blamed for the near extinction of several native island species, such as the Martinique Oriole of Martinique and the Yellow-shouldered Blackbird of Puerto Rico.

 They are a widespread species in South America, and seven different subspecies have been described. The northern form, the one that made it to Florida, is the smallest.

 A group of cowbirds are collectively known as a "corral" and a "herd" of cowbirds.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Shiny Cowbird
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Meadowlark (Icteridae)_blue
Species Molothrus bonariensis
Length7.5 Inches
Wingspan12 Inches

Shiny Cowbird

Shiny Cowbird: Small blackbird with purple sheen on head, back, breast. Eyes are dark. Black bill, legs, feet. Forages on ground, walking with tail cocked above back. Eats insects, caterpillars, seeds and rice. Swift direct flight on rapid wing beats. Travels alone or in small flocks.

● Song: No data available.

● Foraging & Feeding: Shiny Cowbird: Eats insects and seeds; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Shiny Cowbird: Nest parasite that lays one white to light blue or pink egg per nest in nests of other species. Incubation ranges from 11 to 12 days and is carried out by the host species.

● Similar species: Shiny Cowbird: Brown-headed Cowbird has a glossy brown head; female is plain gray-brown.

Flight Pattern

Rapid swooping direct flight on quickly beating wings.
Shiny Cowbird Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Shiny Cowbird: Primarily a South American species, it spread through the West Indies and arrived in southern Florida in 1985. Casual from Texas to North Carolina. Accidental to Oklahoma, Maine, and Maritimes.
BreedingPromiscuous
PopulationRare to uncommon
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.4 Ounces