Information about Cowbird
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) Female M. ater Female M. ater | ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
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Cowbirds are birds belonging to the genus Molothrus in the family Icteridae. They are brood parasitic New World birds which are unrelated to the Old World cuckoos, one of which, the Common Cuckoo is the best-known brood parasitic bird.
This family includes five species of cowbirds that form the natural genus Molothrus. This has been determined by phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences (Lanyon 1992, Johnson and Lanyon 1999, Lanyon and Omland 1999, in Lowther, 2004).
The genus Molothrus includes:
- Screaming Cowbird, Molothrus rufoaxillaris
- Giant Cowbird, Molothrus [formerly Scaphidura] oryzivorus
- Bronzed Cowbird, Molothrus aeneus
- Shiny Cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis
- Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater
These birds feed on insects, including the large numbers that may be stirred up by cattle. In order for the birds to remain mobile and stay with the herd, they have adapted by laying their eggs in other birds' nests. The cowbird will watch for when its host lays eggs, and when the nest is left unattended, the female will come in and lay its own eggs.
The cowbird eggs do not look much different from the hosts' eggs, and the host will normally incubate the eggs. The cowbird chicks grow quickly, and may consume most of the food the host brings. If starvation does not kill the other birds, in some species the cowbird will use its large size to push the other chicks out of the nest. The Giant Cowbird does not appear to harm its host oropendola or cacique chicks.
) Brown-headed Cowbird, adult male | ) Brown-headed Cowbird, courtship behavior |
References
- Jaramillo and Burke, New World Blackbirds ISBN 0-7136-4333-1
- The White Laboratory of Animal Behavior, University of Pennsylvania
- Cowbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection
Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Chordata
Bateson, 1885
Typical Classes
See below
Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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Bateson, 1885
Typical Classes
See below
Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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Aves
Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
About two dozen - see section below
Birds (class Aves) are bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrate animals.
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Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
About two dozen - see section below
Birds (class Aves) are bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrate animals.
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Passeriformes
Linnaeus, 1758
Suborders
A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. More than half of all species of bird are passerines.
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Linnaeus, 1758
Suborders
- Acanthisitti
- Tyranni
- Passeri
A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. More than half of all species of bird are passerines.
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Icteridae
Vigors, 1825
Genera
24, see text
The Icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World.
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Vigors, 1825
Genera
24, see text
The Icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World.
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William John Swainson FLS, FRS (October 8, 1789 - December 6, 1855), was an English ornithologist, malacologist, conchologist, entomologist and artist.
Swainson was born in Dover Place, St.
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Swainson was born in Dover Place, St.
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species is one of the basic units of biological classification. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
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M. rufoaxillaris
Binomial name
Molothrus rufoaxillaris
Cassin, 1866
The Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family.
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Binomial name
Molothrus rufoaxillaris
Cassin, 1866
The Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family.
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M. oryzivorus
Binomial name
Molothrus oryzivorus
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Giant Cowbird, Molothrus oryzivorus, is a large passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae.
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Binomial name
Molothrus oryzivorus
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Giant Cowbird, Molothrus oryzivorus, is a large passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae.
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M. aeneus
Binomial name
Molothrus aeneus
(Wagler, 1829)
The Bronzed Cowbird (once known as the Red-eyed Cowbird), Molothrus aeneus, is a small icterid.
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Binomial name
Molothrus aeneus
(Wagler, 1829)
The Bronzed Cowbird (once known as the Red-eyed Cowbird), Molothrus aeneus, is a small icterid.
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Molothrus
Species: M. bonariensis
Binomial name
Molothrus bonariensis
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Shiny Cowbird,
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Species: M. bonariensis
Binomial name
Molothrus bonariensis
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Shiny Cowbird,
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Molothrus
Species: M. ater
Binomial name
Molothrus ater
(Boddaert, 1783)
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater
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Species: M. ater
Binomial name
Molothrus ater
(Boddaert, 1783)
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater
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Aves
Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
About two dozen - see section below
Birds (class Aves) are bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrate animals.
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Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
About two dozen - see section below
Birds (class Aves) are bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrate animals.
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Icteridae
Vigors, 1825
Genera
24, see text
The Icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World.
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Vigors, 1825
Genera
24, see text
The Icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World.
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Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood-parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same (intraspecific brood-parasitism) or different species
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The New World is one of the names used for the Americas. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively, the Old World).
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The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans in the 15th century before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively known as Africa-Eurasia), plus surrounding islands.
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Cuculidae
Vigors, 1825
Genera
See text.
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos (family Musophagidae, sometimes treated as a separate
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Vigors, 1825
Genera
See text.
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos (family Musophagidae, sometimes treated as a separate
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C. canorus
Binomial name
Cuculus canorus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus
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Binomial name
Cuculus canorus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus
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phylogenetics (Greek: phyle = tribe, race and genetikos = relative to birth, from genesis = birth) is the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms (e.g., species, populations).
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Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria. Most other DNA present in eukaryotic organisms is found in the cell nucleus. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA are thought to be of separate evolutionary origin, with the mtDNA being derived from the
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M. rufoaxillaris
Binomial name
Molothrus rufoaxillaris
Cassin, 1866
The Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family.
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Binomial name
Molothrus rufoaxillaris
Cassin, 1866
The Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family.
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M. oryzivorus
Binomial name
Molothrus oryzivorus
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Giant Cowbird, Molothrus oryzivorus, is a large passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae.
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Binomial name
Molothrus oryzivorus
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Giant Cowbird, Molothrus oryzivorus, is a large passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae.
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M. aeneus
Binomial name
Molothrus aeneus
(Wagler, 1829)
The Bronzed Cowbird (once known as the Red-eyed Cowbird), Molothrus aeneus, is a small icterid.
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Binomial name
Molothrus aeneus
(Wagler, 1829)
The Bronzed Cowbird (once known as the Red-eyed Cowbird), Molothrus aeneus, is a small icterid.
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Molothrus
Species: M. bonariensis
Binomial name
Molothrus bonariensis
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Shiny Cowbird,
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Species: M. bonariensis
Binomial name
Molothrus bonariensis
(Gmelin, 1788)
The Shiny Cowbird,
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Molothrus
Species: M. ater
Binomial name
Molothrus ater
(Boddaert, 1783)
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater
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Species: M. ater
Binomial name
Molothrus ater
(Boddaert, 1783)
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater
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Agelaioides
Cassin, 1866
Species: A. badius
Binomial name
Agelaioides badius
(Vieillot, 1819)
Synonyms
Molothrus badius
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Cassin, 1866
Species: A. badius
Binomial name
Agelaioides badius
(Vieillot, 1819)
Synonyms
Molothrus badius
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Insecta
Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
Subclass Apterygota
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Linnaeus, 1758
Orders
Subclass Apterygota
- * Archaeognatha (bristletails)
- * Thysanura (silverfish)
- * Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic)
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