Shiny Cowbird Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A stout songbird with a short, thick-based, finely pointed bill and moderately long wings and tail.

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than an Eastern Bluebird, smaller than a Red-winged Blackbird.

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 7.1 in (18 cm)
    • Weight: 1.1-1.4 oz (31-40 g)

  © Steven Mlodinow / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Adult males appear blackish from a distance; in good light they are velvety purple. Adult females are brown overall with a pale eyebrow and throat. Juveniles are also brownish but heavily streaked below, similar to juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds.

• Behavior

  Shiny Cowbirds forage in flocks, often with other blackbird species. They feed mostly on the ground, searching for seeds, grains, and insects. Males sing a gurgling song and display to females in the air, from a tree, or on the ground.
• Habitat

  Forages in many open and semiopen habitats, from parks and gardens, roadsides, and farm fields to the edges of riparian woodlands and mangrove forests.