Brown-headed Cowbird |

Brown-headed Cowbird

Notes:

Brood parasite of other North American passerines. Coloration can vary with region.

Approximate Hatch Weights:

~2-20g as hatchling

~25-30g as nestling

~39g at adult weight

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Icteridae
Common Name: Cowbirds
Region: Broad Range
Chick Type: Altricial
Down: Sparse gray down
Skin Color: Pink
Bill: Short and conical
Foot Type: Anisodactyl
Gape: Red-pink
Gape Flanges: Cream-colored
Iris: Dark brown
Legs and Feet: Pink to brown legs and feet

Video from Tufts Wildlife Clinic

2 Cowbird eggs with Eastern Phoebe eggs

Photo by Avery Berkowitz

Brown-headed Cowbird Egg with Prothonotary Warbler Egg

Photo by Jack Dodson

Just Hatched

Photo by Jack Dodson

1 Day Old - with Prothonotary Warblers

Photo by Jack Dodson

2 Days Old - with Prothonotary Warblers

Photo by Jack Dodson

2 Days Old - with Prothonotary Warblers

Photo by Jack Dodson

3 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

3 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

3 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

3 Days Old - with Prothonotary Warblers

Photo by Jack Dodson

3 Days Old

Photo by Jack Dodson

~1st Week - 9g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~1st Week - 9g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

4 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

4 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

4 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

5 Days Old

Photo by Jack Dodson

5 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

5 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

5 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

5 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

~1st Week

Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds

~1st Week

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic

~1st Week

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic

~1st Week

Photo by Michael Akresh

7 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

7 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

7 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

~2nd Week

Photo by Michael Akresh

~2nd Week - 17g

Photo from Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, scale in centimeters

~2nd Week - 17g

Photo from Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, scale in centimeters

8 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

8 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

8 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

8 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

~2nd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~2nd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~2nd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~2nd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~2nd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~2nd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~2nd Week - 27g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~2nd Week - 27g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~2nd Week

Photo by Michael Akresh

~2nd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

9 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

9 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

9 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

~2nd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~2nd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~2nd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~2nd Week

Photo by Michael Akresh

11 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

11 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

11 Days Old

Photo by Laura Kintz

~2nd Week

Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds

~2nd Week

Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds

~2nd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~2nd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~2nd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~2nd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~2nd Week - 20g

Photo by Brenda Varvarigos

~2nd Week - 20g

Photo by Brenda Varvarigos

~2nd Week - 24g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~2nd Week - 24g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~2nd Week

Photo from the Wildlife Center of Virginia

~2nd Week

Photo from the Wildlife Center of Virginia

~2nd Week

Photo from the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network

~2nd Week

Photo from the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network

~2nd Week

Photo from the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network

~3rd Week

Photo from the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network

~3rd Week - 30g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~3rd Week - 30g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~3rd Week - 30g

Photo from Tufts Wildlife Clinic, grid squares = 1 inch

~3rd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~3rd Week

Photo by Connie Black

~3rd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~3rd Week

Photo by Ashley Damm

~3rd Week - 26g

Photo by Christina Huppe

~3rd Week - 26g

Photo by Christina Huppe

~3rd Week - 26g

Photo by Christina Huppe

~4th Week

Photo by Connie Black

~4th Week - 44g

Photo by Sara Wyckoff, Tufts Wildlife Clinic

~4th Week - 44g

Photo by Sara Wyckoff, Tufts Wildlife Clinic

>4 Weeks

Photo by Maureen Eiger, Help Wild Birds

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Avery L. Berkowitz. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.

Site created and maintained by Avery Berkowitz and David Grogan.

This site is made possible by the generous photo contributions of many individuals across the United States and Canada. It aims to support collaboration between those working with wildlife to accurately identify baby birds in order to provide them the best possible care.

To contribute photos to further build and expand this database, please email avery.berkowitz1@gmail.com.

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Regions

Broad Range

Eastern

Western

Chick Type

Altricial

Precocial

Semi-Altricial

Semi-Precocial

Down

Black and gray down with yellow early on

Black down

Brown and white down with brown eye stripes

Brown and yellow down then gray down

Brown and yellow down with brown stripe behind eye

Brown and yellow down with complete brown eyestripe

Brown and yellowish down with faint to no brown eyestripe

Brown down with white patches and underside

Brown to black down with naked top of head

Brown with pale stripe above eye

Buffy down then gray down

Buffy down with brown and black markings

Buffy down with dark brown and white markings

Buffy down with dark brown eye-stripe behind eye

Buffy down with dark brown markings

Buffy down with naked face

Dark brown down

Dark brown to black down with white underside

Dark gray down with white underside

Gray and brown down above with white down on underside

Gray down

Gray down with black and white markings

Gray down with black markings

Gray-brown down above with whitish down on underside and dark eyestripe

Light brown down

Naked

Naked then black down

Naked then gray down

Naked then gray/tan down then white down

Sparse black down

Sparse buffy down

Sparse gray down

Sparse white down

Sparse yellowish down

Very short white down with brown markings

White and buffy down with black stripes

White down

White down with brown and black markings

White down with naked face

White then gray down

White to yellowish down

Yellow down

Yellowish to brown down

Skin

Black

Blue-gray

Brown

Gray

Greenish

Orange

Orange-red

Orange-yellow

Pink

Pink to gray

Pink to orange

Pink to yellow

Pink to yellow around head and black on body

Reddish-brown

Yellow then pink and black

Yellowish

Bill

Black distally and red to orange proximally

Broad and black

Broad and black with pink then yellow

Broad and gray to black

Broad and gray to black with pale tip

Broad and gray to pink

Broad and gray with pink to yellow

Broad and pink with gray base

Curved slightly downward and gray

Hooked and black

Hooked and blue-gray with darker tip

Hooked and gray to black

Hooked and gray to yellow-green

Hooked and gray with yellow tip

Hooked and off-white

Hooked and pink to gray

Hooked and pink to gray with pale tip

Hooked and pink to pale yellow

Long and brown to black with slight downward curve

Long and conical and pinkish to grayish

Long and gray to brown with downward curve

Long and straight and black

Long and straight and black with pale tip

Long and straight and gray to orange

Long and straight and grayish then yellow with black

Long and straight and orange to pink with dark tip

Long and straight and orange-yellow then black

Long and straight and pink then gray

Long and straight and pink to black

Long and straight and pink to orange

Long and straight and pink with black tip

Long and straight and pinkish with black band

Long and straight and yellow to orange

Long and thick with downward curve and orange to yellow

Long with downward curve and gray to pink

Long with downward curve and pink with black bands

Long with hooked tip and black

Short and black

Short and brown to black

Short and conical

Short and gray to black

Short and gray to brown

Short and pink

Short and pink to black

Short and pink to brown

Short and pink to gray

Short and yellow to gray

Straight and black

Straight and brown to black

Straight and brown-black with yellow

Straight and enlarged around nares

Straight and gray to black

Straight and gray to black with pale tip

Straight and gray to brown

Straight and gray with pink

Straight and orange to yellow

Straight and pale brown

Straight and pink to black

Straight and pink to brown

Straight and pink to gray

Straight and pink to yellow

Straight and red with yellow tip

Straight and yellow to gray

Straight and yellow with black bands

Straight and yellowish to black

Straight and yellowish to brown

Tubenose

Foot Type

Anisodactyl

Lobate

Palmate

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Zygodactyl with only 3 digits

Gape Color

Gray to pink

Orange

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Orange-yellow with five black spots

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Pink with black and white markings

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Gape Flanges Color

Cream-colored

None

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White to pale pink

White to yellow

Yellow

Iris Color

Black

Black to gray

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Pale bluish then dark brown

Pale gray to yellow

Yellow

Yellow to orange

Legs and Feet

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Feathered legs and raptorial feet

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Gray to greenish legs with yellowish feet

Gray-pink then black legs and feet

Green to yellow legs and feet

Light gray legs and feet

Light gray to pale yellow and raptorial feet

Orange legs and feet

Pale yellow and raptorial feet

Pale yellow to greenish legs and feet

Pink legs and feet

Pink then yellow to green legs and feet

Pink to blue-gray legs and feet

Pink to brown legs and feet

Pink to gray and raptorial legs and feet

Pink to gray legs and feet

Pink to orange legs and feet

Pink to pale yellow and raptorial feet

Pink to yellowish legs and feet

Proportionally small pink to gray legs and feet

Yellowish legs and feet

Yellowish or pink then brown legs and feet

Yellowish to black legs and feet

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