Sunday, June 11, 2017
Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) - 26May2017
The Shiny Cowbird is a South American nest parasite like it's North American Brown-headed Cowbird counterpart. However, somewhat recently it has expanded it's range into the Caribbean and some have made it into the States. I have seen them in Puerto Rico and Cuba. Actually in Cuba it was the first bird I saw and was inside the airport terminal. This below bird was found by Marty W at Fort Macon in Atlantic Beach, NC. I drove up early the next day and was the only other one to see it as it apparently left right after I did. Purely a coincidence as it was still around when I left. Interestingly enough, a Shiny Cowbird showed up in Sneads Ferry a week later. Probably the same one?
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Congrats - quite a rarity! Looks as though this cowbird is using a summer bird feeder (as do our N American ones). Which brings up an important point: I feel that people (especially birders!) should NOT maintain summer bird feeders, which merely cause cowbirds to proliferate, adversely affecting songbird reproduction.
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