Bird guide · Molothrus ater
Brown-headed Cowbird
What the brown-headed cowbird eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Partial migrant; present all year in many southern areas.
- Size
- 7.4 in (18.5 cm)
- Eats
- seeds
- Feeds
- ground
- Most common
- Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
Food
What do brown-headed cowbirds eat?
At feeders, brown-headed cowbirds take seeds.
Forages mostly by walking on the ground; now common at suburban feeders.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do brown-headed cowbirds live?
Abundant from coast to coast. By share of all bird sightings, brown-headed cowbirds are most common in Nebraska (1.3%).
States where brown-headed cowbirds are most common
- Nebraska1.3%
- North Dakota1.3%
- South Dakota1.3%
- Illinois1.3%
- Missouri1.2%
- Iowa1.2%
- Indiana1.1%
- Kentucky1.1%
- Ohio1.1%
- Arkansas1.1%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are brown-headed cowbirds, 2019–2024.
Season
When can you see the brown-headed cowbird?
Partial migrant; present all year in many southern areas.. Across the US, sightings start in January, peak in May and fade out in October.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are brown-headed cowbirds, by month.
Identification
How to identify the brown-headed cowbird
Male: Glossy black with a contrasting brown head.
Female: Plain dusty brown with a dark, sparrow-like bill.
Young birds: Streaked at first.
Size: 7.4 in (18.5 cm)
On camera
Getting the brown-headed cowbird on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Brown-headed Cowbird: questions
What do brown-headed cowbirds eat?
At feeders, seeds.
Do brown-headed cowbirds migrate?
Partial migrant; present all year in many southern areas.. Across the US, sightings start in January, peak in May and fade out in October.
Where do brown-headed cowbirds live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Missouri. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Hawaii.
What does a female brown-headed cowbird look like?
Plain dusty brown with a dark, sparrow-like bill.
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