Wren/possible cowbird question! (1 Viewer)

[Highlander88]

Hello! I have a beautiful wren who has made her home in my plant pot. I just love it. But today I noticed a rather large brown bird with a light brown head on top of the next and I scared it away. I'm thinking (after googling) that it is a cowbird looking to lay an egg in there. My question is, now that I've scared it away will it be gone for good or has she set her sights on my wrens nest and won't forget about it? Thanks!

 

[Lisa W]

In my experience they usually only lay one egg. Others might have a different experience.

 

[nartreb]

A single brown-headed cowbird can lay 40 eggs or more during a single season, according to https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/brown-headed-cowbird I don't know anything about cowbird memory, though I'm sure most birds can remember the location of a nest, and I know jays can remember dozens of food caches, but even if she forgot this one, she'd be likely to find it again, or a different cowbird might. Your wrens are going to have to be guarding that nest 24/7 for months.