Brown-headed cowbird

Male and female brown-headed cowbirds perched together on a bare branch in warm morning light

This is a favourite frame of a male and female brown-headed cowbird, sharing a branch at sunrise.

Perched side by side on a bare branch, a male and female brown-headed cowbird catch the warm light of an early summer morning. Males show a glossy black body and a rich brown head, and they are most often seen in open fields, at feeders, and along rural roads. Flocks frequently mix with blackbirds and grackles while foraging on the ground.

Males have a glossy, iridescent black body with a chocolate-brown head, while females are a soft, plain brown. Cowbirds are known for laying their eggs in the nests of other birds, which raise the young as their own. They feed on seeds and insects in fields, pastures, and around feeders, and are common across southern Manitoba in the warmer months. Cowbirds are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other songbirds, which then raise the chicks as their own.

Curious about the brown-headed cowbird and its habitat? Learn more on its page at All About Birds.

Field notes in photographs

  • Male and female brown-headed cowbirds perched together on a bare branch in warm morning light
  • Brown-headed cowbird photographed in Manitoba, 2
  • Brown-headed cowbird photographed in Manitoba, 3
  • Brown-headed cowbird photographed in Manitoba, 4
  • Male brown-headed cowbird calling from a weathered post, with a glossy blue-black body and brown head, Manitoba

Brown-headed cowbird Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the brown-headed cowbird in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the brown-headed cowbird nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the brown-headed cowbird in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Plains and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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