Shiny Cowbird
Molothrus bonariensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
18 cmLength42 gWeight
The shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae.
Most records: Argentina, Colombia, Brazil
Where and when it's recorded
Most records: Argentina, Colombia, Brazil
Shiny Cowbird has been recorded at 1,111 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 39 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Reserva Ecológica Costanera SurArgentina10,501 records
- Posada El GalloVenezuela2,635 records
- Hotel Tinamú Birding Nature ReserveColombia1,954 records
More places
- Reserva Ecológica Ciudad Universitaria - Costanera NorteArgentina1,409 records
- La Florida - Bosque de Las AvesColombia1,389 records
- RN Laguna de SonsoColombia1,255 records
- Jardín EncantadoColombia1,190 records
- Finca La AraucanaColombia1,118 records
- Poconé – Pousada PiuvalBrazil1,116 records
- Bubali Bird SanctuaryAruba1,112 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in most of South America except for dense forests and areas of high altitude such as mountains. Since 1900 the shiny cowbird's range has shifted northward, and it was recorded in the Caribbean islands as well as the United States, where it is found breeding in southern Florida.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Shiny Cowbird?
The Shiny Cowbird is about 18 cm long and weighs around 42 g.
Where does the Shiny Cowbird live?
Its breeding range: North America, South America: southeastern USA (rare), Caribbean, Costa Rica to central Chile and south-central Argentina. It is most often recorded in Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.
Is the Shiny Cowbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Shiny Cowbird as Least Concern.
What does the Shiny Cowbird eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Shiny Cowbird in?
It belongs to the family Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds (Icteridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 18 cm
- Weight
- 42 g
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 110 mm
- Tail
- 83 mm
- Bill
- 20 mm
- Tarsus
- 26 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, South America: southeastern USA (rare), Caribbean, Costa Rica to central Chile and south-central Argentina
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds Icteridae
- Genus
- Molothrus
Other birds in the genus Molothrus
Screaming CowbirdMolothrus rufoaxillaris
Giant CowbirdMolothrus oryzivorus
Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus
Bronze-brown CowbirdMolothrus armenti
Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
Yellow-headed BlackbirdXanthocephalus xanthocephalus
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglecta
Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magna
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by eduardovieira17. ↗
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