by Marilyn and Keith Davis

"Disaster From The Past"

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbird        Once vast herds of Buffalo roamed across the great plains of North America.  Even our forests on the east coast had Buffalo that had adapted to living in that area.  As the Buffalo followed the seasons of grasses growing, they moved to the north and then back south when winter came.  During vast ages of Buffalo seasonal traveling, the Brown-headed Cowbird found there was a huge supply of insects frightened up from the great herds while moving as well as from their daily  droppings.  Because the herds moved many miles each day, the birds learned . . . to follow, they must lay their eggs in other bird nests, and let the other bird species raise their chicks at the expense of their own young.  The host bird nests were near the forests fringes along the Buffalo lines of travel.  What a convenience.  Small birds available to do the hard work of raising Cowbird offspring while the real parents follow the Buffalo and a rich food supply.  

        With the coming of the Europeans and the destruction of the Buffalo, everything changed.  Imported cattle filled North America.  Forests were cut down and fragmented.  Farms and livestock were now everywhere.  Soon Cowbirds adapted to live without the Buffalo and their year-around range now included Mexico, United States and many parts of Canada.  Today almost every species of smaller birds is preyed upon by the Cowbirds.  This has caused drastic declines for many of the birds.  In the last few years, research has shown . . . female Cowbirds can lay as many as 36 eggs in one season.  When females forgo building nests they instead put all their energy into producing eggs.   More than 220 species of birds are now raising Cowbirds rather than just their own babies. In southern Utah, on most any feedlot or farm you can find Cowbirds . . .  to the detriment of most other bird species. 

        Thank you Brenda Rusnell for being our Artist this week.  The Brown-headed Cowbird may look like a Blackbird with a shorter tail . . .  until the body is lightened with sunshine and then you can see the Brown head.   If you have questions about birds or upcoming Red Cliffs Audubon events, call 435 673-0996 or visit our home page.  The public is always welcome to all events. 


Past Articles
"Cold Days and Good Memories"  (White Pelican) 
"Tale of Four Birders"  (Western Scrub Jay)
"East Zion Continued" (Golden-crowned Kinglet)
  Vermilion Flycatcher
"Aerial Wolves" (Sharp-shinned Hawk)
"From Clown School to Pond" (Ruddy Duck)
"Shades of Red" Red-tailed Hawk
"Predatory Songbird" (Northern Shrike)

The Cagey Killdeer"
"A True Bird Story" (Willet)
"A Song to Remember" (Hermit Thrush)
"No Spring Cleaning" (Brown-headed Cowbird)
"Look-alikes Galore" (Sage Sparrow)
"A Jazzy Singer" (Cassin's Finch)
"Salute the Coot" (American Coot)
"Put a Smile on Your Face" (Greater Roadrunner)
"The Tale of Fred and Ethel" (Mallard)
"A Flutter of Sparrows" (Clay-colored Sparrow)
"A Sight to Remember" (Blue-gray Gnatcatcher)
"About Night Life" (Northern Saw-whet Owl)
"A Life List" (Painted Redstart)
"Bird-Brained" (Flammulated Owl)
"Needle in a Haystack" (White-throated Sparrow)
"Booby Trap Nest" (Red-breasted Nuthatch)
"The Crowd Pleaser" (Western Tanager)
"Seeds and Civilization" (American Tree Sparrow)
"A Childhood Treasure" (Black-headed Grosbeak)
"Those Itchy Red Bumps" (Cliff Swallow)
"Where's My Winter Coat" (Great-tailed Grackle)
"Ice Age Tree Planter" (Blue Jay)
"What's In a Name" (American Redstart)
"When the Cold Winds Blow" (Western Grebe)
"A National Beauty" (Bald Eagle)

"Feathered Tiger" (Cooper's Hawk)
"The Accomplished Carpenter" (Acorn Woodpecker)
"Jewels" (Evening Grosbeak)
"Observations on the Road" (Rock Pigeon)
"A Leftover Memory" (California Gull)
"Lifelong Dreams" (Greater Roadrunner)
"Who's in Your Yard"  Wren)
"A Touch of Blue" (Mountain Bluebirds)
"Fur and Feathers" (Spotted Owl)
"In Search of" (Red-breasted Nuthatch)
"Wanderlust" (Canada Goose)
"Einstein Birds" (American Crow)
"What Spring Brings" (American Wigeon)
"Magnificent and Adaptable" (Golden Eagle)
"The Loneliest Sound" (Common Loon)
"When a Rare One Shows" (Thayer's Gull)
"Bird of the Ocean Shores" (Brown Pelican)
"A Mature Forest" (Northern Goshawk)
"Spring Is Busting Out All Over" (American Robin)
"Acrobatic Survivor" (Common Raven)
"Are You Ready For Hummers?" (Calliope HBird)

"What’s On Tonaquint Pond?" (Baby Mallard Ducks)
"Definitely Not High-Uintah Parrots" (Pine Grosbeak)
"Bloomington Hills Drive Pond" (Birds of Southern Utah)
"Marks of Identification" (Northern Harrier)
"Nature’s Fighter Plane" (Common Nighthawk)
"King of the Western Skies" (California Condor)
"Are Bugs On Your Diet?" Ash-throated Flycatcher
"Warblers with Cavities" Lucy's Warbler
"Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" Steller's Jay
"Life Bird List" Indigo Bunting
"Valley of Ghosts" Burned habitat
"One Raven is a Good Omen" Raven
"Way-Cool Bird" Cassin's Kingbird
"What a Song Will Do" Virginia Rail
"Surprise at Kolob"  Chestnut-backed Chickadee
"Hatches and Hatches" Mourning Dove babies
"Power Lines and Fence Posts" American Kestrel
"What's a Chukar" Chukar
"A Jacket in The Morning" Oregon Junco
 "Silhouettes in the Sky" Turkey Vulture

"The Sound of Fall" White-crowned Sparrow
"Where Birds Hang Out" Ruby-crowned Kinglet
"Just Desserts" Canvasback Duck
"Reasons to Visit Zion" Wild Turkey

" Disappearing Act" Sage Sparrow
"A Favorite Bird of the UK" English Robin
"The Christmas Card Bird" Black-capped Chickadee
"Warm Slippers" Rough-legged Hawk

"Beautiful, But Strange" Northern Shoveler
"Live Christmas Tree Ornaments" Scrub Jay
"Red and Black and ..." Vermilion Flycatcher
"Bird Songs" Birds at the feeder

"Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!" Ovenbird
"Raptors and Bird Feeders"
"Who’s Who in Winter" Abert's Towhee "
"The Original Centerfold Model" Eastern bluebird

"To Shine a Light on a Name" Cedar Waxwing
"Find a Ladder-backed WP" Ladder-backed WP
"The Price of Bird Seed" Lesser Goldfinch
"Our Juniper Trees" Townsend's Solitaire
"Bird Friendly Backyard" Lazuli Bunting 
"What’s in a Lek?" Sage Grouse
"The Dueling Doves"
M. Dove - Collared-Dove
"Frozen Dinners" Turkey Vulture
"Stop, Sit, Listen & Watch" Common Yellowthroat
"The Night Hunter" Black-crowned Night-Heron

"Window Peekers" Hummingbirds
"When Food’s Free" Bullock's Oriole 
 "Here To Stay!" House Sparrow
"Wild Places" Black-throated Sparrow
"Weird Spring - Many Birds" Western Tanager
"A Little Bird Watching" baby bird watching
"Hoping for Perfect"
Gray Catbird
"Home Sweet Home???" Horned Lark
"Ah, the Western Bluebird!"
"The 'Under Cover" Bird" Green-tailed Towhee
"A Shady Patio"Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk
"Quail Talk" Gambel's Quail 
"Flight of Dragonflies" 
  Ruffed Grouse/Rattlesnake
"Bird Feathers"
"Protective Coloration" Pigeons 
"The Agile Scavenger" Common Raven 
"Where Have All The Pheasants Gone?"
"Black is Beautiful!" Common Black Hawk
"A Best Friend" Barn owl 
"The Ugly Duckling" Mute Swan 
"What Birders Do" Magnificent Hummingbird 
"The Magic of October" Double-crested Cormorant 
"A Gibberish Conversation" Great-tailed Grackle 
"Black Things - Flying" American Coot 
"Flying Fortress White Pelican 
"What is a CBC?" Golden-crowned Sparrow
"Is That a Wild Canary?" Yellow Warbler 
"A Tale of a Great Blue Heron
" Great Blue Heron
 "Better To Wait For Breakfast..." Merlin
"This Was The Place" Red-winged Blackbirds 
"Just To Be Noticed" Pied-billed Grebe 
"Crash Landing" Eared Grebe 
"Where’s It Gonna Show Next?" Anna's Hummingbird

"Become a Junior Birder"
"Seen Any UFOs???"
"Feathered Treasures"
"The Long Way Home" Northern Harrier
"Mr. Lonesome" Greater Roadrunner 
"Four of a Kind" Black-crowned Night Heron
"Winter Colors" American Goldfinch
"Black Snow" European Starling 
"Looking Way Good" Belted Kingfisher 
"To Fill A Niche" Black-billed Magpie 
"Worth Every Cent" Backyard Chickens

"Wet and Bedraggled Pigeon..." Cooper's Hawk
"Why Don't We?" Northern Cardinal
"Rarely, but Possible" Harris's Sparrow
"A Lucky Fluke" Yellow-headed Blackbird
"What Spring Will Bring" Willow Flycatcher
"To Venture Outdoors"  Sharp-shinned Hawk
"St. George at its Finest!" Canyon Wren
"A Suitable Nest" Vermilion Flycatcher
"Stuck in Dixie"  Tree Swallow

"Time to Visit Zion" Blue Grosbeak
"Call From the Wild" Bullock's Oriole nest
"Apple Valley Babies"Western Scrub Jays
"The Fading Song Act" Cactus Wren
"To Win the Ladies"
Northern Mockingbird
"Color is Significant to a Flicker" Northern Flicker 

"King of Bunker Hill"Gambel's Quail
"The Dinner Table"Ferruginous Hawk 
"A Water Tank" Mourning Dove

"Faraway Places"  Black-throated Blue Warbler 
"Faraway Places - Part 2" Franklin's Gull
"Brenda Rusnell - Artist "
"Hit Or Miss" Sharp-shinned Hawk 
"The Flashy Singer/Babysitter" Prothonotary Warbler 
"A Sighting To Remember" Canada Warbler
"The Last Days of Summer" Red-eyed Vireo 
"More Than Just Spectators" Great-tailed Grackles
"A Song to Love" Western Meadowlark 
"The Amazing Migrant" Bobolink 
"A Thistle Sock" Lesser Goldfinch
"From a Bird’s Point of View" Chipping Sparrow 
"At Just the Right Time" Cedar Waxwing 
"A Chicken in Every Pot " Chicken
"A Perfect Flight" Feathers 
"An Atmosphere of Comfort " Burrowing Owl
"Goose Girl" Domesticated Goose 
"Looking For A Super Sleuth" Vermilion Flycatcher 
"Birds and Bugs" Black Swift 
"Why Not Make a Memory?" Spotted Towhee 
"Curious About Birds? " Bewick's Wren

"A Snipe Hunt"  Wilson's Snipe
"The Butcher Bird" Loggerhead Shrike 
"Just Happens Event" Killdeer
"A Spring Show" Cattle Egret 
"Are You Nuts" Double-breasted Nutcracker 
"If You Build It, They Will Come" American Robin 
"Passing Through Southern Utah" Black-necked Stilt 
"Listen Inside and Outside" Say's Phoebe
"Frozen Dinners" Paper Wasps vs Woodpeckers 
"Weather or Not" Golden Eagle 
"Troubadours From Mexico" Great-tailed Grackle 
"Sticks, Straw, and Bricks "
"Front Door Nursery
"Eggs And Ravens" Common Raven
"Field Trips are to Die For" Phainopepla
"A Successful Introduction" Wild Turkey 
"Follow The Leader" Turkey Vulture 
"When There’s Fire" 
"A New Kind of Sport "
"What to Do With Flying Pests "
"Oak Grove and Hummers" Broad-tailed Hummingbirds
"Being Fed" Feeding baby birds

"Crash Day"Learning to Fly 
"Thunderstorms and Scrambled Eggs" 
"Hold the Mud . . ."  Blue Grosbeak
"A Feathery Mystery"
"Magnetic Yards" 
"Rainbows and Gambel’s Quail"
"Not an Ordinary Bird" Phainopepla
"Sunflowers - Free Lunch" Lesser Goldfinch
"Passing Through" Townsend's Warbler
"How High Can You Count?" Blackbirds
"Belly Flops and Kingfishers" Belted Kingfisher
"Listen and Learn" Northern Mockingbird
"Food, Safety and Welcome" Red-winged Blackbird 

"Have Breakfast with a Bird" Baltimore Oriole
"Tongue Lashing from a Bird" House Wren
"Food and Easy Takings" Mourning Dove

"When It's Snow Time in the Rockies" Snow Birds
"Clothes Make the Man . . But *" Indigo Bunting

"The Call of Roosters" Chickens
"Find The Vermilion Flycatcher"
"A Snowy Zion" Dark-eyed Junco
"A Day Well Spent" Bald Eagle
"Easy Pickings" Eurasian Collared-Dove
"The Christmas Bird" Northern Cardinal
"Feathers in the Air" American Kestrel
"Is the Festival Over?" California Gull
"A Song of the Outdoors" Hermit Thrush
"What's on Your Pond?" Bufflehead
"A Must See" Ring-necked Duck
"Bird with the Most Smarts" American Crow
"Free Symphonies This Spring" Young artists birds
"Own a Chunk of Gold" Sandhill Crane
"Feathers on the Ground" Peregrine Falcon
"A Bill for What?" Northern Shoveler
"He's Back" Say's Phoebe
"Opportunistic Feeders" Cattle Egret
"When Habitat Disappears" Long-billed Curlew
"Bug Spray or Flycatchers???" Vermilion Flycatcher
"Talk to a Bird" Yellow Warbler
"Bathing Beauties"
"Who's Who...Parent or Baby"
"Did You Know..." California Quail
"Surprise Sighting" Solitary Vireo
"Bringing Home the Bacon (Bugs)"Western Kingbird
"Are the Grapes Ripe Yet?"House Sparrows
"Following Mom"
"When Grapes Are Ripe" Northern Mockingbird
"Dangers All Around"  Gambel's Quail
"Unexpected Visitor" Hummingbird
"Common, but Not So Common" Greater Roadrunner
"The Bird That Digs and Runs" Crissal Thrasher
"Birds and Temperature" American Wigeon
"A Picnic for Travelers" Lesser Goldfinch
"UFO's - Unexpected Flying Objects" Turkey Vulture
"Golden Eagles vs Cheatgrass"
"A Roller Coaster Ride"
"Hawks and Doves"
"When Leaves Fall from Trees"
"One Small Superhero" Northern Saw-whet Owl
"Snow in Dixie" Western Scrub Jay
"A Sunday Buffet?" American Kestrel
"Unexpected Surprises"
"Almost Never" Streak-backed Oriole
"Bird-friendly Plants" House Sparrow
"The Fly Over" Mute Swan
"Help...Help...Help" Peacock
"Picnic on the Beach" California Gull
"Hotel Accommodations" Say's Phoebe
"Looking for Quality Males" Sage Grouse
"A Keynote Bird" Vermilion Flycatcher
"A New Comer" White-winged Dove
"Fascination" Western Kingbird
"Migration Stopover" Glossy Ibis

"Sweet Sweet Sweet - I’m So Sweet" Yellow Warbler
"With a Black Spot" Song Sparrow
"The Most Wanted List" Brown-headed Cowbird
"Strange Looking Birds" Say's Phoebes
"The Everywhere Bird" Horned Lark
"Hollyhocks and Hummers" Black-chinned Hummingbird
"Habitats Make a Difference" Hooded Oriole vs Social Weaver Bird
"A Turkey in the Sky" Turkey Vulture
"A Bird with Many Names" Black-billed Magpie
"Desert Hummers" Costa's Hummingbird
"People Matter"
"Bedraggled" Great-tailed Grackle
"A Formidable Predator" Cooper's Hawk
"A Feeding Frenzy" American Robin
"It Looks Like Spring"
"Sounds of the Night" Great Horned Owl
"Delayed Takeoff" Turkey Vulture
"Eighty Percent Correct" Red-tailed Hawk
"A Most Important Bird" Red Jungle Fowl
"Alive and Thriving" Common Raven
"A Barren Habitat" Horned Lark
"The Good Samaritan" Mute Swan
"Road Kill Special" Golden Eagle
"A Nifty Surprise" Red-shouldered Hawk
"The Magnificent Seven" Northern Flicker
"Hawk Strike and Feathers" Cooper's Hawk
"Winter Flowers" Year-round Birds
"Scary Movie Flashback" European Starling
"Young Artists"
"Taking Up Residence in the West" Northern Cardinals
"Best Friends" Northern Harrier
"At the Crack of Dawn" Sage Grouse
"Spring Musical"
"The Spark Bird" Red-headed Woodpecker
"Pecans and Birds" American Crow
"Spring in Southern Utah" Robins & Waxwings
"A Treat of Rosemary" Lesser & American Goldfinches
"Egg Island" Double-crested Cormorant
"What's in Your Yard?" Find a Nest
"A Bird Without Wings" A Penguin Family
"Ivins Reservoir" American Avocet
"In Our Own Backyard" Phainopeplas
"Who's Singing That Song?" Yellow Warbler
"If You Hear Swisssshh. . ." Broad-tailed Hummingbird
"Largest Heron in North America" Great Blue Heron
"What's for Dinner?" Baby Birds
"Not Invited for Lunch" Cassins Finches
"Seed Up Your Yard" American Goldfinch
"Was This Heaven?" Pine Siskin
"Birds in Stone" Albatross
"Yellow Bird, Up High in Banana Tree" Prothonotary Warbler
"Chastised by a Birdbrain" Anna's and Costa's Hummingbirds
"Confused Identity" Eurasian Collared-Dove
"Sea Parrots Off the Coast of Maine" Puffins
"Fall Migration ? ? ?" Common Nighthawk
"Cowboys with Feathers" American White Pelican
"The Good Samaritan" Mute Swan
"Let’s Hear It For The Birds" Flicker, M. Lark, RW Blackbird
"A Surprise Every Time" Black-necked Stilt
"Seen Only On Paper" Red-crested Cardinal
"Smart, Any Way You Look At It" Common Crow
"Truly Handsome Duck" Northern Pintail
"Out And About On Holiday" Wood Duck, Wigeon, Mallards, & Kingfisher
"It's Christmas Bird Count Time - CBC"
"Something to Think About" Brown Pelicans
"Chance Encounter " Long-tailed Weasel & Bird Feeders
"The Accomplished Mimic" Cassin's Finch
"Getting Buzzed" Merlin

"Icy Cold Drinks" Winter Hummingbirds
"Roadkill Dining" Northern Shrike
"Sticks or Chocolates" Red-tailed Hawks
"Blossoms In February" White-crowned Sparrow & Dark-eyed Junco
"Many-tongued Mimic" Northern Mockingbird

"Like A Tipsy Robin’s Song" Black-headed Grosbeak
"Nature's Finest Insulators" Canada Geese
"Slim Pickens” Northern Harrier
"Spring Sing" Bullock's Oriole
"Go Green" Lesser Goldfinches
"Night Flight" American Coot
"Lodging in Your Yard?" Western Kingbird

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