Brown-Headed Cowbird

The adult male brown-headed cowbird is iridescent black with a brown head. The adult female is slightly smaller and dull gray with a pale throat and fine streaking on the underparts. The juvenile is brown with a scaly looking back and streaked underparts. 

The first one I saw was a female on a hike on August 13, 2011 to the summit of Mt. Sherman, a 14,000+ foot peak in Colorado. It was pretty high up on the mountain.  

Two males on May 5, 2023 at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah.

This, and the next two photos, were taken at Fish Springs NWR in Juab County, Utah. 

A juvenile with an adult male.

An adult male.

An adult female at Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR nr. the visitor center.

The name "cowbird" comes from it often being seen near cattle. There are three subspecies and these are all the nominate ssp., artemisiae, found in western Canada and the western U.S. It is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of other small perching birds. At least 220 bird host species have been documented, including hummingbirds and raptors. The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young. A female can lay up to 40 eggs in a season.  

Illustration of a female from Birds of the World. 

Illustration of a male from Birds of the World.

Range from Birds of the World.