Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbird perched on the tip of a dead tree and looking toward the ground.
Brown-headed Cowbird, San Joaquin Marsh, Irvine, CA, June 20, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-160; f/10; 1/320 sec.

This page is for the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater). My first photographic evidence occurred on February 16, 2015 near our backyard feeder in Murray, Ky. Unfortunately this is the only evidence I have on file for a while as a recent, really nice photograph of a female serves me now as a reminder to back up all my photos to a second device before I start going through the day’s photographs and deleting the blurry ones. I accidentally deleted a large number at one, but I was able to recover most of the images, or at least representative images of the species I saw that day, except for the Brown-headed Cowbird. The best photograph I have taken of the Brown-headed Cowbird to date (above) is the January 15, 2022 photograph at my backyard feeder, Fort Worth, TX.

Brown-headed Cowbird eating a seed from a bird feeder.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Vista West, Fort Worth, TX, January 15, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-5000; f/6.3; 1/500 sec.

The following photographs are the best representative images from different dates and locations than my species representative example.

A Brown-headed Cowbird sitting on a branch as snow builds on the branches around him.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Murray House; Murray, KY; February 16, 2015
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EFS 18-135 mm lens; 135 mm; ISO-125; f/5.6; 1/200 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird on a backyard feeder with a couple of House Sparrows.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Vista West, Fort Worth, TX, January 17, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-500; f/6.3; 1/1250 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird looking downward while perched on the top of a metal bird feeder stand.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Acton Nature Center, Acton, TX, February 19, 2022
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 500 mm; ISO-2000; f/6.3; 1/640 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird perched high in a tree, looking over its left shoulder.
Brown-headed Cowbird. Colleyville Nature Center. Colleyville. TX. March 12. 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-640; f/7.1; 1/1000 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird perched on a small tree branch. Several branches have new leaf buds.
Brown-headed Cowbird, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, March 26, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 500 mm; ISO-100; f/9; 1/320 sec.

Female Brown-headed Cowbird perched at the top of a tree. She was singing her heart out as we were visiting the area.
Brown- headed Cowbird, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Marsh Boardwalk, Fort Worth, TX, April 2, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 500 mm; ISO-500; f/7.1; 1/1600 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird perched on a small tree branch near the top of a tree.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Colleyville Nature Center, Colleyville, TX, May 8, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/11; 1/1250 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird perched on top of a yield sign.
Brown-headed Cowbird, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, May 28, 2022
EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1600; f/10; 1/2000 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Acton Nature Center, Acton, TX, June 4, 2022
EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-4000; f/10; 1/160 sec.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird perched deep in what appears to be a some sort of locust tree given the number of very sharp spikes on all of its branches.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Mustang Park, Benbrook, TX, January 16, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-3200; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird looking at the camera while perched on the side of a metal bird feeder stand.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Acton Nature Center, Acton, TX, March 26, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 2.0x Teleconverter; 1000 mm; ISO-3200; f/16; 1/200 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird perched on the tip of a tree. The tree had newly emerging leaves.
Brown-headed Cowbird, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, March 26, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 2.0x Teleconverter; 1000 mm; ISO-1000; f/14; 1/1000 sec.
Brown-headed Cowbird eating seeds on a wooden deck.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Chicago, IL April 12, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-100; f/11; 1/125 sec.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird perched on a tree branch next to some flowers.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Chicago, IL April 12, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-640; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird standing on the ground.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, Cibolo, TX May 11, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1600; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird on a bird feeder. It is exhibiting excellent posture.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Vista West, Fort Worth, TX, January 15, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-4000; f/11; 1/500 sec.
Male Brown-headed Cowbird on a bird feeder with several other cowbirds.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Vista West, Fort Worth, TX, January 15, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-4000; f/10; 1/500 sec.