Yep it is lol
They seem to always dupe the song sparrows into raising their young (or at least that is what I’ve observed in my backyard).
For me, it’s always the Chipping Sparrows.
Cowbirds are brood parasites. They’ll lay an egg in a birds nest then the bird will raise it for the cowbird.
Haha it always blows my mind how oblivious mother birds are to the giant loudmouthed cowbird they think is their child.. such an interesting evolutionary strategy!
Some birds now have learned the differences in eggs and get rid of them. Some just haven't adapted or learned to yet.
Cowbirds would go extinct if they all learned. They don't make their own nests.
Evolution is working with them too. Making the eggs nearly identical to the host species it surrounds or making their children more adaptable and camouflaged with other host chicks.
Evolution works in all ways for every way and thing that can occur in the natural world.
Riddle me this Dr. Evolution. If its a cowbird, why have I never had bird milk?
Uh, it's called Fight Milk.
yeah man, doesn't he know? Fight milk helps you fight like a crow! CAAAAAW!
Alright, you have convinced me. I will embrace the power of the crow.
Fairy-wrens will sing a password to their eggs that chicks need to repeat to get fed. Crazy adaptation but if it works?
Actually, some mothers are aware. Cowbird mothers will get revenge if their egg is thrown out and randack a nest, so the tradeoff of raising an innoculated chick is sometimes worth it, to have YOUR progeny survive.
I wonder if that means the cowbird also watches over the nest to keep other birds, like corvids, from raiding all the eggs. I’ll have to look that up.
They do keep an eye on the nest!
Changeling daughter 🧚
Where is the actual daughter?
I have bad news ☹️
It's funny though that the mother cowbird doesn't exactly abandon the eggs. She keeps an eye out on her babies but does not participate in raising them. But may raise holy hell if something messes with the eggs by destroying the nest and the other eggs. When the babies are old enough to be independent, she takes them under her wing and teaches them how to be cowbirds.
I was just wondering how they learn how to be cowbirds. Your comment showed up just in time!
Do the babies know they aren't being raised by their real mom at first? Do they need convincing to go with their real mom when she shows up to take over raising them?
I really doubt that they give it too much consideration. As long as they are being fed. Otherwise, I really don't know the answers.
Adopted daughter
Is mom a song sparrow?
Yup!
Weve got two of them following a tiny tired looking mommy wren all the time screaming and I kind of love them even if it makes me sad that I don’t get to see fledgling wrens instead.
Mama sparrow be like “I must’ve done a good job, look how huge she is!”
She’s so healthy 😂😂
She’s big-boned
Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowbirds
criminally underrated comment
Agreed
I love it!
Last year I saw a teeny tiny blue gray gnatcatcher mom feeding her huge baby brown headed cowbird and it was so funny to watch. The size difference was crazy!
what happened to the rest of that gnatcatcher's chillun? Imma guessin' they starved to death cuz infant mortality is so high among dem birbs
Usually the cowbird chick will push the other chicks out of the nest. Yeah, cowbirds at a-holes.
Yeah there were no other chicks being fed. Just that one giant baby.
I wonder if she's shocked by how big "her baby" is. 😂
I had a chipping sparrow feeding a cowbird fledgling yesterday. Talk about size difference lol.
That's crazy, literally as I type this I'm watching a dark eyed junco feed a cowbird fledgling. It's funny they don't realize that "their" baby is so much bigger than them 😅
Relatable 🥲
I also saw a song sparrow with a huge ass cowbird baby at my local park
I don’t know why but cowbirds are my fave backyard bird. I love their songs.
Mommy is worn out by her big daughter
Mom's face says it all lol
Awww why is this so cute
Omg I love this Reddit. I’m new to birding and this is brand new information for me. Now I’m fascinated!
she loves her big bébé
Mom's workin' three jobs just to keep "her" kid fed!
Is that a cowbird fledgling? Someone may have been bamboozled!