COW BLACKBIRD 



April s, 1894 

 (Elmhurst) 



THE cowbirds mingle a good deal with 

 the grackles when migrating. They 

 are easily distinguished from them by 

 their smaller size and less conspicuous 

 tails. The males have brown heads and 

 necks and black bodies; the females are 

 grey all over. They utter while flying a 

 peculiar long whistling note, ending with a 

 quickly repeated trembling note on a little 

 higher key. It is rather a plaintive song 

 ' — if it can be called a song — and is quite 

 different from the scratching, cackling 

 notes of most blackbirds. They only 

 seem to practice this song a comparatively 

 short time in the year, in April and May. 

 I have also heard them utter a harsh rat- 

 tle while flying, much like the rattled notes 

 of the meadow lark. I think the females 

 made this note but am not sure. 



May, iqo6. The males make a noise 

 just like the gurgle of water through a 

 long necked bottle. 



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