Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
A small, brood parasitic bird, native to North America, migrating to the South of US and to Mexico in winter. The bird feeds on seeds and insects.
- 🇫🇷 Vacher à tête brune
- 🇩🇪 Braunkopf-Kuhstärling
- 🇲🇽 Tordo cabecicafé
Characteristics
- Length: 20-25cm
- Weight: 40-60g
- Wingspan: 30-35cm
How to Identify
Females are completely brown, rounded head, dark eyes and strong, conical bill. Males have black body and brown head.
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Where and When to Spot
I saw this bird species twice. First time a male in Technoparc Montreal and the second time in Boisé des Douze, Saint Hyacinthe. Visually, an unspectacular bird, often overseen.
Observations by Park and Season
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parc Michel-Chartrand | x | - | - | - |
| Parc des Étangs Antoine-Charlebois | - | x | - | - |
"-" indicates no observation. It may not necessarily mean though that the species is absent from the park during that season.