Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyIcteridae (Ictèrids)
- GenusMolothrus (Cowbirds)
- SpeciesMolothrus ater (Brown-headed Cowbird)
The brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a small, obligate brood parasitic icterid native to temperate and subtropical North America. It is a permanent resident in the southern parts of its range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or April. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-headed Cowbird sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 3,632 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella magna
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Rusty Blackbird
Euphagus carolinus
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown-headed Cowbird in Shenandoah National Park?
About 21% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-headed Cowbird sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 3,632 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown-headed Cowbird in Shenandoah National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Brown-headed Cowbird in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.