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Is this a Cowbird egg?

6 years ago

I have a shelter logic shed for my golf cart. Recently I found this nest built on one of the upper supports of the shed. Today I saw that it was a phoebe's nest. I got a picture with my phone from above it, and this is what I found. Of course I immediately assumed it was a cowbird's egg, but I've never seen them so bluish-green. Do any other birds do that? I'm thinking they don't. Can cowbird eggs vary in color like that? I hope I don't scare the phoebe away with my coming and going out of the shed. As she flew out of the shed to a nearby tree, I told her she has nothing to fear from me, but I'm not sure she was listening. :)

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Comments (6)

gyr_falcon
6 years ago
There is quite a bit of color variation for cowbird eggs. But cuckoos are also brood parasites. I believe cuckoos have a broader variation of color, with some leaning towards matching to the eggs in the nest to a greater degree (depending upon host bird).
catherinet
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks gyr_falcon. I haven't been hearing any cuckoos yet this spring, but I have seen cowbirds, so I guess I'll assume it's a cowbird egg. Thanks again for your info.
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Thanks guys, I followed your advice and removed the egg. I made a home-made hole reducer out of a piece of cardboard and taped it inside the box to the front of the box. It's been taped to the hole from all angles. Hoping it will hold up. It is a 1 1/4" or as close as I could get eyeballing it. The chickadees accepted it after a few minutes. Cardboard was the only thing I could think of that is flexible yet sturdy since I have gilbertson boxes. Crossing my fingers for no cowbird attacks. Never had a cowbird egg in 13 years of backyard birding, but now my 1st year at my new house and 1st nest of chickadees ever, I get one.
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Awesome! Its really a surprise. It feels great when I see birds lay eggs in the nest. I use to live in the farm and took care of all the different animals there.
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I've heard the stories about the cow bird monitoring the nests where she has laid eggs, and I don't believe it really happens. Cowbirds used to follow the buffalo herds and could not stick around to raise their young. So they would lay their eggs in the nests of others and then might stick around or might move on, based on what the buffalo did. Yellow Warblers will build a nest on top of their original nest if a cowbird laid an egg in it. Naturalists have seen up to 10 yellow warbler nests built one on top of the other to avoid incubating the cowbird eggs that were laid in each additional nest. No harm was done to any of the warblers eggs and no retaliation was reported. Many birds naturally recognize the foreign egg and remove it from the nest, without any reprisal.
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Why would you want to let it survive just so it could go on to do the same thing in another birds nest? I would throw it out but you do what you want. Waiting for hatching could still mean death to the others if you don't see that it has hatched right away, it will always get the food whereas the others won't and will die. I am sure you will get other advice but I guess you can do what you want to do. Donna
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Old Forester ( Zones 8a-6a ) Ga/NC
6 years ago
Should the cowbird egg be pitched or left alone ?
gyr_falcon
6 years ago
Unless you have a special permit to do so, it is illegal to remove the egg. Cowbirds are not an introduced species. Whether you follow the law or not is not my call; I'm just passing along info.
whwo
6 years ago
Our native cuckoos rarely parasitize the nests of other species. It's more common intraspecifically. In addition, both Black-billed and Yellow-billed cuckoos have eggs that are unmarked. Thus, this is a Brown-headed Cowbird egg and as already stated, should be left alone.
catherinet
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks everyone.

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