Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
I heard something on the radio this morning, saying this bird has been noticed co-ordinating its song with wing and body movements, ending the performance with a little bow!! Has anyone seen this?
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Brown headed cow bird (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Elizabeth Bigg
- Start date
Gerry Hooper
Certified User
I heard that also Elizabeth, never seen it though.
It sounds like the Brown headed cowbird is a bit of a showoff .And why not!!
It sounds like the Brown headed cowbird is a bit of a showoff .And why not!!
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
Gerry Hooper said:
Almost certainly it was the male that was seen behaving like this!
Michael Frankis
conehead
Should that be a Brown-headed Bullbird?Almost certainly it was the male that was seen behaving like this!
christineredgate
Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th
Is this a Ruffled feathers type thread.I have just looked in two bird books,and cannot find any mention of a Brown headed cow/bull bird:eek!: .Michael Frankis said:
Am I ,as usual ,missing something here?
Christine.
Michael Frankis
conehead
Brown-headed Cowbird is a very common American bird: try an American bird book!christineredgat said:
It is chiefly known for being the American equivalent of our cuckoos - they lay their eggs in other birds' nests (quite a problem for some endangered species which suffer their attentions).
It is called cowbird, because they feed around cattle, much like Cattle Egrets, feeding on insects disturbed by the grazing cows. 'Bullbird' was a joke, of course.
Michael
christineredgate
Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th
Thanks,Michael,because Elizabeth mentioned it,I thought it was in this country,fool!!(me ,Elizabeth,not you).I'll pop across to Google and find a photo.
Christine.
Google not working,so will try later
Christine.
Google not working,so will try later
Last edited:
SimonC
Still listing - I'll capsize one day
I heard this on BBC Radio London this morning, & the girl reading the news broke up everytime she tried to read the story. Danny Baker even bet her a fiver she couldn't read the whole thing without cracking & she got about half way through! Well, little things and all that!
christineredgate
Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
I was only half awake when I heard this on the radio this morning (in bed, via headphones) - I had to work out a word association "trick" to help me to remember it later, I'll leave it to the imagination! :eek!:
Beverlybaynes
Mod Squad
And I've seen that behavior, too!
It's apparently a display/threat behavior. I was sitting in the feeder watching room at Muscatatuck, where the glass is the kind that the birds cannot see through.
A cowbird perched on the windowsill, where he could apparently see his reflection. He'd stand very still, and very slowly, he'd appear to grow larger and larger, as he fluffed up his feather in an attempt to appear bigger. All of a sudden, he'd rouse, shivering/shaking all over, dipping his head toward the reflection (the other bird, in his mind), and giving this odd call that I can only describe as a musical version of a watery 'plunk'.
I watched him do this five or six times before he decided he had better things to do than threaten the 'other bird'.
It was absolutely hilarious!
It's apparently a display/threat behavior. I was sitting in the feeder watching room at Muscatatuck, where the glass is the kind that the birds cannot see through.
A cowbird perched on the windowsill, where he could apparently see his reflection. He'd stand very still, and very slowly, he'd appear to grow larger and larger, as he fluffed up his feather in an attempt to appear bigger. All of a sudden, he'd rouse, shivering/shaking all over, dipping his head toward the reflection (the other bird, in his mind), and giving this odd call that I can only describe as a musical version of a watery 'plunk'.
I watched him do this five or six times before he decided he had better things to do than threaten the 'other bird'.
It was absolutely hilarious!
