How Native "Buffalo Birds" Became Cowbird Pests

Cowbirds are one of the bird species that benefits greatly from human modification of the environment at the expense of other birds. Cowbirds are brood parasites which means they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and do not care for their own young. Their parasitic reproduction strategy is unique among the world's blackbird species. Historically, cowbirds were restricted to the Great Plains in short-grass prairies, where they followed buffalo herds, feeding on insects stirred up by the grazing animals. It was not until the native forests of the eastern United States were opened up and interspersed with agriculture and livestock that cowbirds were able to invade.

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Background Material
Review of the Causes and Implications of the Association Between Cowbirds and Livestock https://sora.unm.edu/node/139521
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/nuisance/cowbirds/
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/news/brown-headed-cowbirds-buffalo-birds-modern-scourge
#MyBackyardBirding #cowbirds #birds
Public Domain thumbnail image courtesy of NPS via license https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cowbirds_on_bison_(7545304160).jpg the image was modified for clarity.