# Cowbirds



## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

I've been watching a couple of male brown-headed cowbirds visit the feeder this winter. Initially I thought they were migrating late and passing thru. Now I'm beginning to wonder if they were raised by a pair of resident chickdees or cardinals.

Any ornithologists out there know how they make the transition from being raised by their forced adopted parents to their own kind? Is imprinting just something ducks and chicken-like birds do?


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

eucman said:


> Any ornithologists out there know how they make the transition from being raised by their forced adopted parents to their own kind? Is imprinting just something ducks and chicken-like birds do?


Essentially, yes. Ducks and most other game-birds are precocial, that is, they hatch with downy feathers and are more or less able to fend for themselves. They imprint on their mothers as a way to find food and stay out of trouble. Songbirds, like cowbirds, are altricial, that is, they are hatched naked with their eyes shut and must depend on the adult bird to bring them food. It actually takes less time for an altricial species to leave the parent than a precocial species. 

Cowbirds and other nest parasites, like old-world cuckoos, have evolved over centuries to be raised by adults of other species. Once they've grown, instincts take over (actually, once they've hatched - they've been known to push their smaller nest-mates out of the nest - can't learn that from the adopted parent!). The same is true for all songbird species, really. They aren't exactly shown where to migrate or what habitat cues to look for, they just know.

Speaking in terms of evolution, nest-parasitism is a gangbuster trait - pass on your genes without the risk of endangering your own life caring for your young. 

I would bet that the cowbirds you've seen at your feeder are just later migrants - cowbirds don't migrate too far south of Michigan anyhow. And with the increasingly mild winters, I would imagine their migration patterns are shifting northward anyhow.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Cow birds make ++++great practice to train a lab.

When my last lab was a pup she would watch the cowbirds at the feeder on the deck rail. I would go out the front door and sneek up on the feeder. I shot a ton of the dang things on the flush off the feeder. Even numerous doubles.

I would then go let the lab out and she would fetch the cow birds. It was great training as she was fetching blinds as most of the time the birds were down in the swamp

My advise is to shoot the dang cow birds and help out the rest of the bird population.


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

I guess we probably shouldn't admit to shooting them since they are a protected native song bird. I do know an avid birding couple that hold a contest on who can rack up the highest number of cowbirds shot each spring.


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## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

eucman said:


> I guess we probably shouldn't admit to shooting them since they are a protected native song bird. I do know an avid birding couple that hold a contest on who can rack up the highest number of cowbirds shot each spring.


 I believe Multi was confused and has actually been taking out some Starlings..  I know I've been shooting lots of "Starlings" this past summer as well. :coolgleam


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## James Dymond (Feb 23, 2002)

Thought I put this on here last night.










Jim


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

I have always heard that cowbirds were not protected. And they needed to be eliminated. I will continue to do it if I get the chance. I had some trying to get in my wren boxes last year but could not get them with my grandsons BB gun. I guess I need a gamo

Do you believe every thing some one tells about doing on the internet. Gotta have proof to prosecute.


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## mdad (Dec 4, 2007)

what birds can I shoot off the feeder? anybody have a list? I always thought cowbirds, grackles and sparrows were fair game.


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

mdad said:


> what birds can I shoot off the feeder? anybody have a list? I always thought cowbirds, grackles and sparrows were fair game.


I guess I'm not sure about cowbirds, but definitely not grackles, and only house sparrows - if you live out in the country, I'd be willing to bet you don't see as many house sparrows as other species of sparrows. European starlings, like house sparrows, have no closed season.

I think there's some also some misguided thoughts out there on brown-headed cowbirds. They are problems in areas where susceptible, otherwise rare birds, like Kirtland's warblers, nest. In other areas, they really aren't that much of a problem and are simply surviving. Lots of bird species will abandon a nest with a cowbird egg laid in it, but others will continue incubating, hatch, and raise the cowbird in addition to their own nestlings. If the Kirtland's warbler wasn't near extinction because of habitat loss (and it's really picky habitat needs), you'd never hear much about cowbirds at all.


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

I think the old small game digest said "English Sparrows, Starlings and Blackbirds can be taken at any time." I haven't checked lately, but I think the list is shortened to house sparrows (english sparrows) and starlings.

Supposedly "Four and twenty black birds baked in a pie" is a meal fit for a king. However, I never did get any clarification on what 'black birds' were. There are red-wing, yellow headed, Brewer's; I'm pretty sure if you shot a pile of yellow headed and red-winged black birds you would be in a bit of trouble. I've never read that grackles were legal to shoot (even though we all grew up knowing and calling them "black birds."

I've read that cowbirds are not much of a problem in their core range and a lot of birds have "learned" to deal with the parasitism. I have also read that they significantly reduce nesting success for forest type birds like vireos especially in fractured habitat areas like you typically see in remnant woodlands in commons areas of recently developed subdivisions.

I assume a C.O. would ticket anyone found guilty of shooting brown-headed cowbirds. I will probably continue to shoot "starlings" whenever possible.


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

If the Kirtland's warbler wasn't near extinction because of habitat loss (and it's really picky habitat needs), you'd never hear much about cowbirds at all. 
__________________
Excellent comment Brown duck! The Dusky Seaside Sparrow was doomed to fail in our world. I'm betting the piping plover will disappear too...at least from Michigan shorelines.


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## fathom this (Feb 10, 2008)

I noticed a sharp reduction in song birds at my cottage last summer. I saw no American Redstarts, Indigo Buntings, Grossbeaks and other song birds. I did however see quite a few cowbirds. I wander if they are responsible for the reduced sitings?


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

eucman said:


> I've read that cowbirds are not much of a problem in their core range and a lot of birds have "learned" to deal with the parasitism. I have also read that they significantly reduce nesting success for forest type birds like vireos especially in fractured habitat areas like you typically see in remnant woodlands in commons areas of recently developed subdivisions.


Good point - cowbirds are more of a stress on birds that are already hurting because of other manmade problems, namely, habitat loss/fragmentation (I'd argue that in 99% of all species in decline, be they birds, mammals, plants, fish, or anything else, it's usually not increased predation or other factors that we like to point fingers at, but habitat loss). Since cowbirds aren't really a forest interior bird, they shouldn't do well in areas where birds that do belong in the forest interior have ample interior areas in which to nest and can stay away from edges. Though, in a fairly famous paper on the subject, two authors conducting research at Rose Lake (if I'm not mistaken - it's been a while since I read that) found that not to be the case, and that cowbirds were not affected by edges. Oh well, still a cool thing to think about and discuss.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

mdad said:


> what birds can I shoot off the feeder? anybody have a list? I always thought cowbirds, grackles and sparrows were fair game.


Only three birds are not protected and you can legally shoot: House Sparrow, European Starling and Rock Dove (common pigeon). The male house sparrows are easy to ID but unless you are good, I'd pass on shooting female house sparrows as there are several other native sparrows that are similar. 

I wish the list included mute swans since they are non indigeounous...but it doesn't. I've been in the brown headed cowbird trap above, they're in the kirtland warbler areas. Otherwise I don't think they're causing a huge problem...not like the Starlings are taking nesting cavities. Next tim you see the large flock of 10,000 on the ground, get out the #8 shot and start blasting.


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

Well cowbirds are on my list because I like seeing the other birds as mentioned before the buntings, nuthatches, grossbeeks etc. Not sure why they wouldnt be on the list.

Also, add Bluejays to the list since they are such *****&^!es as well to other birds


Ganzer


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

MERGANZER said:


> Well cowbirds are on my list because I like seeing the other birds as mentioned before the buntings, nuthatches, grossbeeks etc. Not sure why they wouldnt be on the list.
> 
> Also, add Bluejays to the list since they are such *****&^!es as well to other birds
> 
> ...


I didn't know the Migratory Bird Act let you take out any bird you didn't particularly like. Good to know.


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

I never claimed that it did. Nor did I know that you were the President of the Cowbird Protection Agency.

Ganzer


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Brown duck
You should have been around before they protected hawks and owls

No better sight than seeing a hawk explode in a puff of feathers when hit with a 243.

Also a lot more small game around back then.


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

MERGANZER said:


> I never claimed that it did. Nor did I know that you were the President of the Cowbird Protection Agency.


I just think it's kind of ignorant to go on the internet and say that protected birds are on some sort of personal vendetta "list" and imply that it's ok to do with them as you please. One could certainly infer that's what you meant by the way the conversation was going (that is, which birds are not protected).

And I'm not President - I'm Secretary.


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

I wish they would do something about the hawks. They are everywhere. Not sure what they could do to keep thier populations a little lower but wish they could lower the population they sure do a number on the pheasants.

Ganzer


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