Brown-headed Cowbirds from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge—1 July 2019 and 19 July 2019. The first is a female, the second a streaky immature bird. Both are quite differrent from the brown-headed, black males. Cowbirds are primitive blackbirds; Among the cowbirds that lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, the Brown-headed Cowbird preys upon the largest number of hosts. Brown-headed Cowbirds wader widely during the breeding season, laying up to 40 eggs per season. The list of parasitized hosts is over 200 species. Hosts range greatly in size, from creepers to meadowlarks (Lowther 1993).
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