From Opus

Photo by KCFoggin

Molothrus ater

[edit] Identification

15-20cm.

• Finch-like bill
  

Male - black plumage, glossy brown head.
Female - grey brown.

[edit] Distribution

Canada, USA and Mexico
Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
USA: New England, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Mexico: Baja California, Tamaulipas, Oaxaca, Los Coronados Islands

[edit] Taxonomy

Female
OhioMoose
Central Ohio, May 2007

Polytypic. Consists of four subspecies^[1]

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• M. a. artemisiae:

• Southern coastal Alaska to south-western US; migrates to Baja California and southern Mexico

• M. a. obscurus:

• South-western US to Guerrero and northern Tamaulipas; migrates to southern Baja California Sur and Oaxaca

• M. a. ater:

• Central and east-central US; migrates to Gulf Coast, Florida and southern Mexico

• M. a. californicus:

• Southern California to northern Baja California and Los Coronados Islands (off north-western Baja California)

[edit] Habitat

Juvenile
bobsofpa
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Pennsylvania, USA, June 2008

Farmland, foreste edges, suburbs.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Cowbirds are brood parasites; the female removes one egg from the host nest and lays one of her own. Four to five white, brown speckled eggs are laid, one at a time.

[edit] Vocalisation

Song: A liquid, bubbly gurgle followed by an upslurred, high-pitched whistle (given during display).
Call: check or a rattle.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibase
3. eNature

• List of references

[edit] External Links