Brown-headed cowbird
| Brown-headed cowbird Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Adult male | |
| Adult female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Icteridae |
| Genus: | Molothrus |
| Species: | M. ater |
| Binomial name | |
| Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) | |
Breeding range Year-round range Wintering range | |
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.