Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyIcteridae (Ictèrids)
- GenusMolothrus (Cowbirds)
- SpeciesMolothrus ater (Brown-headed Cowbird)
The brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a small, obligate brood parasitic icterid native to temperate and subtropical North America. It is a permanent resident in the southern parts of its range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or April. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-headed Cowbird sighting in Banff National Park, based on 700 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Banff National Park
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Bullock's Oriole
Icterus bullockii
Rusty Blackbird
Euphagus carolinus
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown-headed Cowbird in Banff National Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-headed Cowbird sighting in Banff National Park, based on 700 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown-headed Cowbird in Banff National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Brown-headed Cowbird in Banff National Park in our monthly data.