New Development in the "help me ID this bird" thread

[Joey]

Okay,so we decided the gray bird was either a juvenile house finch or cowbird, but this just in, and I'm confused in a few ways.

 

First, here is the bird again, this time at my feeder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then this happens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, first off, that gray one does not look like any juvenile cardinals that I can find online, and is that not a male cardinal? Doesn't mama cardinal feed the kids?

 

Anyhow, now I'm even more confused as to what type of bird it is.

 

Joey

[cram]

You may have your answer that its a cowbird. Cowbirds often lay their eggs in other birds' nests....the other birds raise their young for them.

 

Their either brilliant, or deadbeats....not sure :-).

[Joey]

Yes, I did know that Cram, its called parasitic. I just didn't think they raised them to this point. I figured they'd leave as soon as they could fly and then go back to their own kind.

 

But I guess that is our answer. Cool!!!

 

Joey

[alexcba]

brilliant or dead beat.. thats awesome! great pics joey!

[Roy]

They really are excellent pics Joey. Cram has it right but I knew that you knew that.

[Joey]

Thanks Alexcba and Roy. Love my new camera

 

Okay, upon further reading, I have found the male does feed the young as the female has several broods per year and stays on the eggs while daddy feeds her and the young.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Joey

[Roy]

Good ol' Dad.....lots of overtime so the kids and Ma can eat.....

[Musky or Specks]

Male Cardinal -" Wha da ya mean thats not my kid. Time for Maury Povich"

[singingdog]

That's an immature cowbird, being fed by the cardinal. The adult birds that get parasitised will feed the cowbird young until they are fledged, just like their own young. What's really strange is seeing a small warbler feeding a cowbird that is 1.5x it's size.

 

Interesting study a few years ago on cowbirds. It seems that the females will revisit nests that they have parasitised. If the host bird had recognized the cowbird egg and gotten rid of it, the cowbird would proceed to destroy the nest. If the egg remained, they would leave the nest, along with any host eggs still intact, intact.

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Awesome pictures Joey!!!

[ehg]

Those are amazing photos!

 

These photos make identification easier showing the size and more clearly showing the thin upper beak etc... . That bird is almost size of cardinal not a small finch

 

Cardinals are my favorite birds around here.

[Spiel]

Yep, like others have said great shots. Seems like you're getting the hang of that new camera.

 

I'm gonna agree with what some of the others have said in regards to it being a Cowbird, why else would the Cardinal feed it.

[SudburyAngler]

amazing pictures

[moondog]

Joey ----- that IS a female cowbird !!! and yes they raise them that long !!