Odd Couple?

bhowdy

I was watching some small birds in the gardens at the University of Tennessee today and noticed this juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird following the Song Sparrow around. At first I thought they might be playing, then I noticed the open mouth and fluttering wings of a young bird waiting for food.

The images are not all perfect, but the story was pretty interesting ... at least to me.

The Odd Couple Brown-headed Cowbird (juvenile) and a Song Sparrow


The Odd Couple 2


What do you want?


She has a mouthful!


Open Wide


"Burp"


More Feeding


Still More Feeding


The Sparrow grew tired of all this and flew off after this shot

dlplumer

Very cool series Bob

Giphsub

Hehe. Cool series. Amazing that that can happen.

pyry

Giphsub wrote:

Hehe. Cool series. Amazing that that can happen.

We wouldn't have cuckoos if it didn't.

Not a bad set that Bob

WildWally

very nice perspective on these shots !!!!

Giphsub

pyry wrote:

We wouldn't have cuckoos if it didn't.

Not a bad set that Bob

Really? Are they a mix?

pyry

Giphsub wrote:

Really? Are they a mix?

Not a mix, the common cuckoo is a brood parasite, they lay eggs in other birds' nests and have them raise the chicks. I think that's what has happened here, the sparrow's lost track of which chicks to feed

jwear

The Brown-headed Cowbird is the only brood parasite common across North America. A female cowbird makes no nest of her own, but instead lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species, who then raise the young cowbirds.
The Brown-headed Cowbird lays eggs in the nests of many different species of birds. Recent genetic analyses have shown that some female cowbirds will use a number of different hosts, but most females specialize on one particular host species.
Social relationships are difficult to figure out in birds that do not build nests, but male and female Brown-headed Cowbirds are not monogamous. Genetic analyses show that males and females have several different mates within a single season
this is a great series of shots [I have the same with a yellowthroat and did some research ] great work by the way

pyry

jwear wrote:

The Brown-headed Cowbird is the only brood parasite common across North America.

It actually is a brood parasite? I was thinking it was just a case of confusion that sometimes happens with nests located close together.

The learning never ends

Giphsub

Huh! Well there is something I didn't know!

Ric Grupe

Jeff has it right.

I have seen this scene many times. Sometimes I'm afraid the baby is going to swallow the mom!!! The ones I have seen were Chipping Sparrows with the baby Cowbirds.

Cool set.

Harryb

Excellent behavioral series.