Many species of birds get reputations of various sorts. One species that gets a bad rap, through no fault of its own, is the brown-headed cowbird. The female cowbird lays its eggs in the nests of ...

Cowbirds also closely follow livestock and catch insects disturbed by the large animals’ movements and feed upon seeds that ...

It’s that time of year here in our neck of Pennsylvania when it’s prime nesting season for our feathered friends. Case in point: Our home in Northbrook is now surrounded by nesting birds. These ...

One of the most interesting topics discussed in my Ornithology class was about the “con artists” found in nature… Brood parasitism occurs when a female bird (the parasite) lays her eggs in the nest of ...

It’s that time of year here in our neck of Pennsylvania when it’s prime nesting season for our feathered friends. Case in point: Our home in Northbrook is now surrounded by nesting birds. These ...

Be glad you’re not a cowbird, which is a type of blackbird. Mother cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, making their offspring orphans even before birth. Sometimes the other birds where the ...

Today’s comment of the day comes directly from a bird’s worst nightmare. In response to today’s post on the nesting habits of brood parasite, the cuckoo finch, commenter Aloicious shares this even ...