Brown-headed Cowbird (Birds of Great Basin National Park)

Brown-headed Cowbird

Molothrus ater

Summary ⁷

The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or April.

Distribution ⁸

Global Range: Breeding range extends from southeast Alaska, northern British Columbia, and southern Mackenzie to Newfoundland, and south to central Mexico, southern Texas, Gulf Coast, and southern Florida (AOU 1983, Lowther 1993). Winter range extends from northern California, southern New Mexico, Kansas, Great Lakes region, New England, and Nova Scotia south to southern Baja California, Oaxaca, central Veracruz, Gulf Coast, and southern Florida (AOU 1983, Lowther 1993). This species historically occurred in the Great Plains west of the Mississippi River and often was associated with bison that stirred up insects and uncovered seeds. In the 1700s and 1800s, European settlers fragmented the once unbroken expanse of eastern deciduous forest, leading to cowbird expansion throughout the eastern United States and Canada (Mayfield 1965, 1977). Fragmentation of forests and cowbird expansion occurred more recently in the western United States (Verner and Ritter 1983).

Morphology ⁹

The cowbird is a small blackbird with a short conical bill and long, pointed wings. Males appear black with a unique brown head and neck. Females are either dullish gray or brown throughout. The bill is a dull grey, while the eyes are black.

Range mass: 40 to 50 g.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.6315 W.

Sierra nevada forests ¹⁰

The Limestone salamander is a highly localized endemic of the Sierra Nevada forests foothills conifned to a limited reach of the Merced River. The Sierra Nevada forests are the forested areas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which run northwest to southwest and are approximately 650 kilometers long and 80 km wide. The range achieves its greatest height towards the south, with a number of peaks reaching heights of over 4000 meters. Several large river valleys dissect the western slope with dramatic canyons. The eastern escarpment is much steeper than the western slope, in general.

The Sierra Nevada forests ecoregion harbors one of the most diverse temperate conifer forests on Earth displaying an extraordinary range of habitat types and supporting many unusual species. Fifty percent of California's estimated 7000 species of vascular plants occur in the Sierra Nevada, with 400 Sierra endemics and 200 rare species. The southern section has the highest concentration of species and rare and endemic species, but pockets of rare plants occur throughout the range.

Sierra Nevada amphibian endemics are the Yosemite toad, Mount Lyell salamander (Hydromantes platycephalus), the Vulnerable Limestone salamander (Hydromantes brunus), Kern salamander and the Endangered Inyo Mountains salamander (Batrachoseps campi). The non endemic amphibians are: the Endangered Southern mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa); the Near Threatened Cascades frog (Rana cascadae); Northern red-legged frog (Rana aurora); Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilia); Foothill Yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii); Long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum); and the Monterey ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii).

A considerable number of mammalian taxa are found in the ecoregion, including the Long-eared chipmunk, Alpine chipmunk, Western heather vole, Walker Pass pocket mouse, and the Yellow-eared pocket-mouse. A diverse vertebrate predator assemblage once occurred in the ecoregion including Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), Black bear (Ursus americanus), Coyote (Canis latrans), Mountain lion (Puma concolor), Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), Fisher (Martes pennanti), Pine marten (Martes americana) and Wolverine (Gulo gulo).

There are a small number of reptilian taxa present in the Sierra Nevada forests: sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus); Northern alligator lizard (Elgaria coerulea); Southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata); Sharp-tailed snake (Contia tenuis); California mountain kingsnake (Molothrus ater); Common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis); Couch's garter snake (Thamnophis couchii); Western gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer); Longnose snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei); and the Common kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula).

A number of bird species are found in the ecoreion including high level predators that include several large owls, hawks and eagles. Other representative avifauna species present are the Blue-headed vireo (Vireo solitarius); Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater); and the Near Threatened Cassin's finch (Carpodacus cassinii).

Migration ¹¹

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Northern breeding populations are long-distance migrants. Most migrant cowbirds arrive in northern breeding areas in late March-April. Adult males and females arrive first, followed two weeks later by yearling males, who are followed one week later by yearling females (Darley 1982). Southward migration begins in August, peaks in September, and extends into October. Specific timing varies with latitude.