Date: 8/29/26 3:44 pm From: Freddy Howell via groups.io <jandfhowellz...> Subject: [slocobirding] Hooded Oriole feeding young Brown-headed Cowbird
Weird happenings in HOOR land, aka Templeton. We’ve been watching lots of young with multiple adults for several weeks. This is actually the second group of youngsters. We have been watching a young bird we call “Flutterbutt” because of its incessant pestering of “Mom” for several days at the jelly feeder. Just today, I got a good look at the baby and realized it was a cowbird, due to its head/bill transition and spotty breast. I have included two rather poor photos, but at least I took down the screen. The window is filthy because of all the birds flinging nectar and jelly. We’ll clean it when they’re gone in a couple of weeks. This is the first time I have seen this in the 8 years that we have had the jelly feeder up. Don’t cowbirds usually drop their eggs in smaller birds nests? Has anyone else heard of cowbirds parasitizing a bird as big as a Hooded Oriole?
Thanks for any insights.
Freddy Howell
Templeton/Paso Robles Border
