Brown-headed Cowbird

The coffee-brown head and black body of the male are distinctive, but in fall the brown head shows more of a purplish tinge. The young, while larger than sparrows, could be confusing since they are olive-brown above with a buffy scaled appearance. The underparts show brown streaking. The female is dusky gray.

They feed near grazing animals and consume quantities of insects which are disturbed by the herds. In winter they join other flocking birds for migration. Then they feed on small seeds.