9^ COWBIRD 



Cowbird: Molothrus ater. 



Length 8 inches. 



Head, neck and breast brown; rest of the phimage glossy- 

 black with metallic reflections. 

 Female, dark gray, lighter below. 

 A rare permanent resident. 



In early May if a large gray bird is seen walking 

 about the lawn, and pecking in the grass like a 

 chicken, you may be sure it is the female Cowbird, 

 and that the home of some happy little songster in 

 the neighborhood is likely to be disturbed, if not 

 ruined, by her intrusion. Mr. Chapman, in his " Birds 

 of Eastern North America," writes strongly of this 

 bird: "The Cowbird is an acknowledged villain and 

 has no standing in the bird world. English Sparrows, 

 either because they are not aware of the customs of 

 New-World bird life, or because of a possible and not 

 unlikely affinity, associate with him; but no self- 

 respecting American bird will be found in his com- 

 pany. ... In small flocks they visit both pasture and 

 woodland, and are given to following cattle, clustering 

 about the feet of the herd, presumably to feed on the 

 insects found there. They build no nest, and the 

 females, lacking every moral and maternal instinct, 

 leave their companions only long enough to deposit 

 their eggs in the nests of other and smaller birds. 

 I can imagine no sight more strongly suggestive of 

 a thoroughly despicable nature than a female Cowbird 

 sneaking through the trees or bushes in search of a 

 victim upon whom to shift the duties of motherhood. 



" The ill-gotten ofifspring are born with the Cowbird 

 character fully developed. They demand by far the 

 greater share of the food, and through gluttony or 

 mere size alone, starve or crowd out the rightful occu- 



