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Cowbird

Updated: Wikipedia source

Cowbird

Cowbirds are birds belonging to the genus Molothrus in the family Icteridae. They are of New World origin, but some species not native to North America are invasive there, and are obligate brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species. The genus was introduced by English naturalist William Swainson in 1832 with the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) as the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek mōlos, meaning "struggle" or "battle", with thrōskō, meaning "to sire" or "to impregnate". The English name "cowbird", first recorded in 1839, refers to this species often being seen near cattle.

Tables

Genus Molothrus – Swainson, 1832 – six species · Species
Screaming cowbird
Screaming cowbird
Common name
Screaming cowbird
Scientific name and subspecies
Molothrus rufoaxillaris Cassin, 1866
Range
Northeast and central Argentina, southeast Bolivia, central Brazil and throughout Paraguay and Uruguay
Size and ecology
Size: Habitat: Diet:
IUCN status and estimated population
LC
Giant cowbird
Giant cowbird
Common name
Giant cowbird
Scientific name and subspecies
Molothrus oryzivorus (Gmelin, JF, 1788) Two subspecies M. o. impacifus (Peters, JL, 1929) M. o. oryzivorus (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
Range
Southern Mexico south to northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago
Size and ecology
Size: Habitat: Diet:
IUCN status and estimated population
LC
Shiny cowbird Male Female
Shiny cowbird Male Female
Common name
Shiny cowbird Male Female
Scientific name and subspecies
Molothrus bonariensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789) Seven subspecies M. b. minimus Dalmas, 1900 M. b. cabanisii Cassin, 1866 M. b. venezuelensis Stone, 1891 M. b. aequatorialis Chapman, 1915 M. b. occidentalis Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1892 M. b. riparius Griscom & Greenway, 1937 M. b. bonariensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
Range
South America, the Caribbean, and Florida
Size and ecology
Size: Habitat: Diet:
IUCN status and estimated population
LC
Bronzed cowbird
Bronzed cowbird
Common name
Bronzed cowbird
Scientific name and subspecies
Molothrus aeneus (Wagler, 1829) Three subspecies M. a. loyei Parkes & Blake, 1965 M. a. assimilis (Nelson, 1900) M. a. aeneus (Wagler, 1829)
Range
Southern U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana south through Central America to Panama
Size and ecology
Size: Habitat: Diet:
IUCN status and estimated population
LC
Bronze-brown cowbird
Bronze-brown cowbird
Common name
Bronze-brown cowbird
Scientific name and subspecies
Molothrus armenti (Cabanis, 1851)
Range
Colombia
Size and ecology
Size: Habitat: Diet:
IUCN status and estimated population
NT
Brown-headed cowbird Male Female
Brown-headed cowbird Male Female
Common name
Brown-headed cowbird Male Female
Scientific name and subspecies
Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) Three subspecies M. a. artemisiae Grinnell, 1909 M. a. obscurus (Gmelin, JF, 1789) M. a. ater (Boddaert, 1783)
Range
Southern Canada, United States, and Mexico
Size and ecology
Size: Habitat: Diet:
IUCN status and estimated population
LC
Common name
Scientific name and subspecies
Range
Size and ecology
IUCN status and estimated population
Screaming cowbird
Molothrus rufoaxillaris Cassin, 1866
Northeast and central Argentina, southeast Bolivia, central Brazil and throughout Paraguay and Uruguay
Size: Habitat: Diet:
LC
Giant cowbird
Molothrus oryzivorus (Gmelin, JF, 1788) Two subspecies M. o. impacifus (Peters, JL, 1929) M. o. oryzivorus (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
Southern Mexico south to northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago
Size: Habitat: Diet:
LC
Shiny cowbird Male Female
Molothrus bonariensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789) Seven subspecies M. b. minimus Dalmas, 1900 M. b. cabanisii Cassin, 1866 M. b. venezuelensis Stone, 1891 M. b. aequatorialis Chapman, 1915 M. b. occidentalis Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1892 M. b. riparius Griscom & Greenway, 1937 M. b. bonariensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
South America, the Caribbean, and Florida
Size: Habitat: Diet:
LC
Bronzed cowbird
Molothrus aeneus (Wagler, 1829) Three subspecies M. a. loyei Parkes & Blake, 1965 M. a. assimilis (Nelson, 1900) M. a. aeneus (Wagler, 1829)
Southern U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana south through Central America to Panama
Size: Habitat: Diet:
LC
Bronze-brown cowbird
Molothrus armenti (Cabanis, 1851)
Colombia
Size: Habitat: Diet:
NT
Brown-headed cowbird Male Female
Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) Three subspecies M. a. artemisiae Grinnell, 1909 M. a. obscurus (Gmelin, JF, 1789) M. a. ater (Boddaert, 1783)
Southern Canada, United States, and Mexico
Size: Habitat: Diet:
LC

References

  1. aviansystematics.org
    https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=199
  2. Fauna boreali-americana, or, The zoology of the northern parts of British America
    https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41549684
  3. Check-list of Birds of the World
    https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14481396
  4. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names
    https://archive.org/details/helmdictionarysc00jobl_997
  5. Oxford English Dictionary
    https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?q=Cowbird
  6. "IOC World Bird List (v 10.2)"
    http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
  7. Icterus
    https://bioone.org/journals/the-wilson-journal-of-ornithology/volume-132/issue-1/1559-4491-132.1.91/New-species-of-troupial-Icterus-and-cowbird-Molothrus-from-ice/10.1676/1559-4491-132.1.91.full
  8. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1838626
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