Brown-headed Cowbird Portrait
This bird is definitely not high on the favorites list of birders, nor is it one of the prettiest. Here,, though, with the afternoon sideline on his plumage, brings out the brown and bronze hues in his thead and neck feathers to show him at his most handsome. The cowbird population has spread and increased in past years and can be found across the United states. The female bird lays her eggs in the nests of other small song birds. Because the cowbird carries a large number of parasites, they are spread to the nests where they leave their eggs. The eggs in the host nest then become vulnerable to the parasites. The effect is that other bird varieites are losing numbers becuase of the illnesses caused by the cowbirds.
