Megan Hobratschk

One of the most interesting topics discussed in my Ornithology class was about the “con artists” found in nature… Brood parasitism occurs when a female bird (the parasite) lays her eggs in the nest of another female bird (the host), who then raises both her and the parasite’s eggs. This interesting behavior is displayed by species that you may regularly see!

The Brown-headed Cowbird, which is commonly found in this area, is one of the most infamous brood parasites in the U.S. Cowbirds are not picky when it comes to what nests they decide to lay their eggs in, as they have been seen laying eggs in the nests of over 240 other species! This egg “swap” occurs when the host species is away from its nest and usually results in the Brown-headed Cowbird female removing or destro

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