Red-eyed cowbird
| Red-eyed cowbird | ||||||||||||
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Red- eyed cowbird ( Molothrus aeneus ) |
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| Molothrus aeneus | ||||||||||||
| ( Wagler , 1829) |
The red- eyed cowbird ( Molothrus aeneus ) is a North American songbird from the blackbird family.
features
The red-eyed cowbird is 22 cm long and weighs approx. 68 g. The plumage of the adult males is black with a green-bronze tinge. The top of the wings and tail are iridescent green . The iris is red, which can only be seen up close. The collar on the back and neck gives it a hunched look.
The female is more dull black, the wings of the hand have pale hems. The iris is red-brown.
The young birds are dark brown with light feather edges and have a brown iris.
The call of the red-eyed cowbird is a rough, throaty "chack", the singing sounds panting and humming.
Habitat and Distribution
The red-eyed cowbird is regionally frequent in open and bushy landscapes and wooded mountain gorges.
It occurs in the southern parts of the US states California , Arizona , New Mexico , Texas and Louisiana , as well as in all of Central America to Panama .
Reproduction
Like all cowbirds, the red-eyed cowbird is a brood parasite . He lays his eggs in strange nests and lets other bird species hatch them. The host birds are often members of the Ammern family , such as B. barnacle bunting ( Melozone biarcuata ).
literature
- F. Gary Stiles and Alexander Frank Skutch: A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Comstock, Ithaca 1989 ISBN 0-8014-9600-4 .
- National Geographic Society: Field Guide to the birds of North America. 4th fully rev. and updated Ed., Washington DC 2002, ISBN 0-7922-6877-6 .
Web links
- Molothrus aeneus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 5 of 2009.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- High resolution photographs from Texas