Looks like it may be a juvenile Cowbird or maybe a juvie RWBB to me. Now I'm not sure if it's even either one LOL
Cathy

Whatever it is I have one too, I think it is a juvie cow bird because there are always Chippers around. I had a cowbird in a chipper nest, found a baby chipper on the ground, tried to put it in the nest and they all juped ship. Put them in a bucket for a couple days and they all made it to fledging. I assume what I have is the bucket baby cow bird.

Thank you so much!...Cowbird makes sense, ...been seeing adult birds eyeing out for nest to plop a egg.

Konrad

It is neither a Brown-headed Cowbird nor a Red-winged Blackbird. May I ask where and when the pic was taken?

Lisa, I'm sorry to hear the cowbirds have enslaved your Chipping Sparrows, you should do something about that before it is too late.

Bird guy, I didn't catch the egg or I would have. Our Cowbird population has been way down this year and the Chippers about normal numbers. All of the bucket babies fledged and I have seen chipper babies at the pond also. I had that cowbird baby in my hand, it was cute, cold, scared and hungry........I couldn't. Food was plentiful this year and it seemed there were more than 2 chippers feeding this brood????? I can deal with the eggs I find and with adult male HOSPS but I just cant do baby birds. I gotta leave them to mother nature.

After looking at that pic a lot, I would assume it's a young male cowbird, very dark.

I'm glad to hear you do take action against them. I have put it off too long at my place, next spring I will be eliminating them from my property.

We are afraid that most backyard birfeeder people won't take the action needed to thin them out and this will be devastating to the songbird populations of the U.S.

Pics of immature cowbirds have been pouring in from backyards all across the nation, showing all sorts of songbirds that have been enslaved by them and having to raise them instead of their own babies.

I came up with a new slogan to remind myself of what I have to do. "Everytime I zap a Cowbird, a nestful of baby songbirds get their wings"

Nobody is trying to wipe them out, they just need to be thinned out.

I have some good pics that show the 4 in the nest and why the host bird babies die, I dont know how to post pics but will e mail them to you if you would like, my e mail is on my page here. We must remember the Cowbirds are also protected at this point. I do agree they usually come in huge flocks and could use to have their numbers put back in line.

Yes, it's not a pleasant task. There are exceptions to Cowbird protection, biologists have been battling them for 40 years. The problem is that, now, they are taking advantage of people who have birdfeeders in their yard. These are the kinds of people who won't take the steps needed to control them. Just the kind of people the Cowbirds were looking for.

People try to pass the buck and blame it on all kinds of things but, I am the reason they are at my feeders. I've allowed it. Next spring that changes.

Hi all and thanks for your help!
I got a better picture with better light....are you still going with cowbird?

Konrad

Konrad these look like two different birds altogether. The first one's belly is heavily streaked all the way down under. I think this second one is a juvie White Throated Sparrow. I'm still going with juvie Cowbird on the first one.
Cathy

I gotta agree, the second looks like a white throat to me and yup im sticking with Cowbird on the first one too.

Thank you all!... yes, you're right, found another from the original take a little brighter.

Konrad