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Sorry no pic yet, but couldn't wait to ask. Two Cardinals babes fledged over a week ago and then all of the sudden the daddy Cardinal was also feeding a cowbird. Must have been laid late. Anyway, I haven't had brown-headed cowbirds in the yard since April, but I do have at least 2 Bronzed Cowbirds around and one is a female. Seems like this juvi cowbird could be a Bronzed.
How can I tell if the cowbird being raised by the Cardinals is a Bronzed or a Brown-headed Cowbird?
Thanks! I still haven't gotten a good pic. I've only gotten one that I know for sure is the right bird b/c the cardinal had just fed him. That's this pic. He turned his head to preen when I snapped the photo and then flew off before I could get another shot. I have seen him clearly through the binocs and I think he has to be a Bronzed. He's so dark and doesn't appear to have any streaking at all. He also seems larger than a brown-headed would be.
Got to be a Bronzed. No streaking at all even though still young enough that it's not feeding itself. Here is another blurry pic. It likes the furthest, darkest corners of the yard and today's a dark day to boot.
He seems to favor it over the 2 juvi cardinals! Yesterday evening, the cardinal was feeding the cowbird in the grass. The cardinal flew off and an adult Bronzed Cowbird landed near the juvi. The adult cowbird flew off and the juvi followed! I wondered if he would start hanging with his own kind, but the next thing I knew the Cardinal was feeding him again and the adult cowbird had disappeared.
