Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)
Brown-headed Cowbird
CLASSIFICATION
Main Group: Animal
Sublevel 1: Vertebrate
Sublevel 2: Bird
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Icteridae
Genus: Molothrus
Species: Molothrus ater
STATUS IN NEW ENGLAND
Origin: Recent
Invasive, Pest, or Pathogen?: No
Rarity Designations: None
BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY
Feeding Type: Heterotroph
HABITAT
NOTES
Considered an agricultural pest. May also be a nuisance and create health concerns when large numbers of birds roost in areas frequented by people (Dolbeer and Linz, 2016).
PHOTOS OF Molothrus ater
In a beaver pond
Essex County, MA
Date: 2010-04-11
REFERENCES
Dolbeer, R.A. and Linz, G.M. 2016. Blackbirds. Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services. August 2016. Available from: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/reports/Wildlife%20Damage%20Management%20Technical%20Series/FINAL_Blackbirds_WDM%20Technical%20Series_Aug2016.pdf.