Bird Guide

Bronzed Cowbird vs Screaming Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus)

Bronzed Cowbird

Molothrus aeneus

Medium63 gForest

The male bronzed cowbird is 20 cm (7.9 in) long and weighs 68 g (2.4 oz), with green-bronze, gloss-black plumage. His eyes are red in breeding season and brown otherwise. The female is 18.5 cm (7.3 in) long and weighs 56 g (2.0 oz). She is a dull black with a brown underbelly, and has brown eyes. Young birds have coloring similar to the females, with the exception of grey feather fringes.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dennis Vollmar · CC BY 4.0
Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris)

Screaming Cowbird

Molothrus rufoaxillaris

Small48 gUrban

The screaming cowbird has mildly iridescent black plumage; the lesser under-wing coverts are rufous. The female is slightly duller in colour than the male. The legs are black and the iris is reddish brown. Adult body length is 18–21 cm and mean adult weight is 58 g for males and 48 g for females. The call of the screaming cowbird was first described as "impetuous screaming notes"; however, a more useful description for field identification is noisy, explosive and piercing with rasp-like calls also produced. Screaming cowbirds are mostly seen in pairs or small flocks.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Screaming Cowbird
Recorded by Gabriele Magurno · Song · Ezeiza, Ezeiza Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Irisfz · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Bronzed Cowbird and Screaming Cowbird.