Brown-headed cowbirds

[Guest]

Will these birds go into a PM house and lay eggs? I have loads of them that come to my feeders. My 2 daughters like them (they like all birds though, they are 2 and 4) but I don't particularly like them because of their egg laying habits. Any suggestions on getting them to move on?

Jessica

[phillip26r]

I shot 3 to 5 a day every day last week and the rest of them seem to have moved on from my place.

[Glen Webb Jr]

Well, there's not much you can do. They are protected, so unless you have a special permit, it's illegal to shoot cowbirds. I'm not for sure about that, someone else could clarify that for me.

But I don't think they've ever been reported to parasitize martin nests. I've actually had them try to perch with the martins, I think it had to do with black birds enjoying the company of black birds, and not a case of attempted parasatism. But the martins quickly dispatch them.

[Daniel Airola]

Cowbirds seldom lay parasitically in nests of any cavity nesters. The low frequency of parasitism of martins is suggested by the lack of reports from many nest-checkers.

Cowbirds can have serious effects on some species, but mainly where natural habitats have been modified in ways that support large cowbird populations and in areas where they have recently invaded and native species are less able to recognize and reject cowbird eggs. I studied parasitism in the mountains of California some years ago, and found high parasitism rates only in areas with bird feeders, campgounds, livestock concentration areas, and landfills. I encouraged people to not put out bird seed in the summer to discourage cowbird parasitism.

Cowbirds are native species that adopted the parasitic habitat because they followed the bison herds on the Great Plains (and thus could not hang around to care for a nest). They are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (unlike the non-native starling and house sparrow) and cannot be legally killed without a permit.

Martin landlords should not worry about cowbirds, in my opinion, but if you're concerned, my suggestion is to remove your bird feeder until the nesting season is over.

[Bob Flam]

Yeah theres a bunch around here too. They try and sit with the martins on the perching poles sometimes. Maybe they are checking to see if theres a place to drop an egg? I think they only do it in open nest...mostly finchs nest ??? But no they won't bother the martins...

I like the Cat Bird, now their cool. I hear one out back this afternoon, and a Baltimore is back. They both eat a lot of grape jelly! They love it.

I cut strings for the Baltimores too...white cotton twine/string cut up in about 1 1/2 foot lengths and drape em over a bush or brush or in lower tree limbs. The Orioles use a lot in making their hanging basket nest.

Comes this time of year I specialize in my bird feeding. I'll do suet for woodies...sometimes, grape jelly for the Orioles and Catbirds, gold finch feeder with millet while the millet last, sugar water for the hummers, an crickets for you know who...and I'll be doing mealworms for the BB's after they finish their 1st clutch, wherever they are, and come to my BB house for the next. I hear em every day, they woulda stayed here for the 1st clutch if it wasn't for that sparrow...rest his soul.

Spring is comin to life here again

bob

[Guest]

Thanks for the info about the cowbirds. I will be keeping an eye out for them. Do they lay eggs in cardinals, chipping sparrows, or white throated sparrows nests?

Jessica

[Guest]

Bob--I have a catbird pair here too. Mine sound more like a baby than a cat. The first time I ever saw one, I had been watching a butterfly. I remember thinking, "Oh, what a pretty butterfly." Then the catbird flew over, and I thought, "Oh, what a pretty bird." Then the catbird pounced on the butterfly and ripped it to shreds!!! And I was like, "AAAACCCCKKKK!!! Too much nature!!!!!!"

[Glen Webb Jr]

Cowbirds seldom lay parasitically in nests of any cavity nesters. The low frequency of parasitism of martins is suggested by the lack of reports from many nest-checkers.

They are a big problem with Prothonotary warblers in Southern IL though. It is strange, maybe it's a regional thing and cowbirds have adapted to Prothonotary's in the swamps. Never ever heard of them in bird houses anywhere around my neck of the woods though. I usually see them trying to sneak into red-winged blackbird, cardinal, warbler nests and especially the song sparrows around here.

[PMS in Virginia]

Somewhere along the way I read that perhaps cowbirds have a positive relationship with the martins? The one pair of martins here this year perch along with the cowbirds on the top of a nearby utility pole. It seems as though the two species are actually communicating with each other.