Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Adult male
- Short to medium length rounded tail
- Thick, triangular bill
- Brown head
- © ashockenberry, Ontario, Canada, September 2008
Brown-headed Cowbird
Adult female
- Large, stocky songbird
- Relatively short tail
- Stout, conical bill
- Solid gray-brown overall
- © Jay Paredes, FL, Boynton Beach, May 2010
Brown-headed Cowbird
Parasitized Yellow Warbler nest
Brown-headed Cowbird
Juvenile
- Stocky, heavy-bodied songbird
- Stout, conical bill
- Streaked breast
- Plain gray-brown overall
- © flipkeat, ON, Missisauga, June 2011
Brown-headed Cowbird
Juvenile with Common Yellowthroat parent
- Large and stocky songbird
- Thick, conical bill
- Pale gray-brown with some streaking on breast
- Juveniles often seen being fed by parents of smaller species
- © Darin Ziegler, CO, Colorado Springs, July 2009
Brown-headed Cowbird
Adult male
- Brown head contrasting with glossy blackish body
- Short, thick, pointed bill
- © robinsegg, WY, June 2006
Brown-headed Cowbird
Adult female
- Dull brown overall
- Slim body with large head and thick bill
- Dark eye
- © tsiya, April 2008
Brown-headed Cowbird
Adult male
- Blackish body with greenish iridescence
- Brown head
- © maia bird, December 2008
Similar Species
Adult male
- Adult male similar to adult male Brown-headed Cowbird
- Body and head glossy black
- Wings with blue-purple sheen
- Red eye
- © Tripp Davenport , Uvalde, TX
Adult female
- Similar to female Brown-headed Cowbird
- Heavily streaked below
- Contrasting dark cap and eyeline
- Thinner, more pointed bill than Brown-headed Cowbird.
- © Judy Howle
Adult male
- Similar to adult male Brown-headed Cowbird
- Red and yellow wing patch
- Longer and thinner bill than Brown-headed Cowbird
- © Ted Schroeder
Male and female
- Male Brewer's Blackbirds are glossy blue-black on the head and have a bright-yellow eye
- Both sexes have longer, more slender bill than cowbirds
- Both sexes have longer tails and longer legs than cowbirds
- © Eric Rosenberg, San Jose, CA, June 2007