Copyright monacoeye • Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Shiny Cowbird
Latin: Molothrus bonariensis
Other: Vira-bosta (Br) • Tordo (Es), Tordo común, Tordo renegrido
Family: Icteridae • Cowbirds
Range: SE USA though C South America, Brazil etc
Similar: Bronzed Cowbird, Screaming Cowbird, Chopi Blackbird

The Shiny Cowbird is one of a few entirely black birds to be found in Brazil. The photo above is a presumed female - the adult male (below) is deep blue-black and shiny.

The Shiny Cowbird’s range covers much of Latin America and has recently extended into Chile and Florida.

It’s usually seen in groups but not always. It tends to walk around on the ground and looks more relaxed than the male Ruby-crowned Tanager. The Chopi Blackbird has a more peaked head and has a grooved bill.

The Shiny Cowbird, not beloved by many birders, is a brood parasite, like the European Cuckoo, laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, and in some cases endangering host species survival.

Below, the bird on the right looks like a male Shiny Cowbird, Pantanal, Aug 2011
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Pantanal, August 2011 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Baywing
Latin: Agelaioides badius
Other: Bay Winged Cowbird • Asa-de-telha (Br) • Tordo músico (Es)
Family: Icteridae • New World Blackbirds
Range: Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay
Similar: Juvenile Screaming Cowbird

The Baywing is predominantly grey with rufous wing edges and black eye and bill.

Above, seen on the Transpantaneira highway, in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Baywings were easy to see at Pouso Alegre, where they joined Saffron Finches to feed on corn given to the animals. Not uncommon in open country.

These are not Cowbirds, in that they are not brood parasitic or in the genus Molothrus. In fact they are parasitised by Shiny Cowbirds, whose juveniles look very similar.More photos...

Copyright monacoeye • Iguaçu, Brazil 2006

Bird name: Giant Cowbird
Latin: Molothrus oryzivorus
Other: Iraúna-grande (Br) • Tordo Gigante (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Cowbirds
Range: S Mexico through N South America
Similar: Great Tailed Grackle

The Giant Cowbird is a brood parasitic icterid, laying its eggs in the nests of oropendolas, caciques and some other birds such as jays. It is found from Central America to the northwestern half of South America and to a lesser extent the southern part of Brazil.

The Giant Cowbird is a large bird (40 cm) - it looks a bit similar to the Great-tailed Grackle in Panama, but the latter has a thinner bill. The adult male is larger and shiny blue-black, the female browner and smaller. Irises can be red or yellow, depending on regional differences, also in some regions males tend to have red irises and females yellow irises.


Below, a Giant Cowbird with red eye in the Canal zone of Central Panama, 2010
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, May 2010

Bird name: Bronzed Cowbird
Latin: Molothrus aeneus
Other: Vaquero de ojos rojos (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Cowbirds
Range: SW USA to Panama
Similar: Shiny Cowbird

The male Bronzed Cowbird is dark with a big ruff, the female is lighter.

Bronzed Cowbirds should have bright red irises - none of these photo show this feature which makes me think they may not be Bronzed Cowbirds!

More photos...

224 Icteridae - Oropendolas, Caciques, New World Orioles, Blackbirds, Grackles, Cowbirds - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Clypicterus oseryi - Casqued Oropendola - W Amazonia

Psarocolius wagleri - Chestnut-headed Oropendola - Mexico to Ecuador - was Zarhynchus wagleri
Psarocolius decumanus - Crested Oropendola - N, SC, South America, also Panama
Psarocolius viridis - Green Oropendola - Amazonia
Psarocolius atrovirens - Dusky-green Oropendola - Peru, Bolivia
Psarocolius angustifrons - Russet-backed Oropendola - W, N South America
Psarocolius montezuma - Montezuma Oropendola - S Mexico to Panama
Psarocolius cassini - Baudo Oropendola - NW Colombia
Psarocolius bifasciatus - Olive Oropendola - E, S Amazonia - was Para Oropendola
Psarocolius guatimozinus - Black Oropendola - Panama, Colombia

Ocyalus latirostris - Band-tailed Oropendola - W Amazonia

Cacicus cela - Yellow-rumped Cacique - Panama to SE South America
Cacicus haemorrhous - Red-rumped Cacique - Colombia to E Brazil & N Argentina
Cacicus uropygialis - Subtropical Cacique - Panama to Peru
Cacicus microrhynchus - Scarlet-rumped Cacique - Honduras to Panama - Split from C. uropygialis
Cacicus chrysopterus - Golden-winged Cacique - SC South America
Cacicus chrysonotus - Southern Mountain Cacique - Peru, N Bolivia
Cacicus leucoramphus - Northern Mountain Cacique - Venezuela to Ecuador, N Peru - Split from C. chrysonotus
Cacicus sclateri - Ecuadorian Cacique - Ecuador, Peru
Cacicus koepckeae - Selva Cacique - Peru
Cacicus solitarius - Solitary Cacique - C Amazonia to N Argentina
Cacicus melanicterus - Mexican Cacique - W Mexico to SE Guatemala

Amblycercus holosericeus - Yellow-billed Cacique - Mexico to N Bolivia

Icterus icterus - Venezuelan Troupial - Colombia, Venezuela
Icterus croconotus - Orange-backed Troupial - N, W, SW Amazonia
Icterus jamacaii - Campo Troupial - E Brazil
Icterus pectoralis - Spot-breasted Oriole - Widespread Middle America
Icterus graceannae - White-edged Oriole - Ecuador, Peru
Icterus mesomelas - Yellow-tailed Oriole - Mexico to Peru
Icterus cayanensis - Epaulet Oriole - N, C, SC South America
Icterus pyrrhopterus - Variable Oriole - Pantanal Brazil etc . split from cayanensis, added 2010
Icterus bonana - Martinique Oriole - Martinique
Icterus laudabilis - St. Lucia Oriole - St. Lucia
Icterus oberi - Montserrat Oriole - Montserrat
Icterus dominicensis - Hispaniolan Oriole - Hispaniola - Was Greater Antillean Oriole
Icterus portoricensis - Puerto Rican Oriole - Puerto Rico - Split from Greater Antillean (Hispaniolan) Oriole
Icterus melanopsis - Cuban Oriole - Cuba - Split from Greater Antillean (Hispaniolan) Oriole
Icterus northropi - Bahama Oriole - Bahamas - Split from Greater Antillean (Hispaniolan) Oriole
Icterus prosthemelas - Black-cowled Oriole - S Mexico to Panama
Icterus spurius - Orchard Oriole - SE Canada to C Mexico
Icterus fuertesi - Ochre Oriole - NE Mexico - Split from I. spurius
Icterus cucullatus - Hooded Oriole - SW USA, Mexico, Belize
Icterus wagleri - Black-vented Oriole - Mexico to Nicaragua
Icterus maculialatus - Bar-winged Oriole - S Mexico to El Salvador
Icterus parisorum - Scott's Oriole - SC USA, Mexico
Icterus auricapillus - Orange-crowned Oriole - Panama to Venezuela
Icterus chrysater - Yellow-backed Oriole - S Mexico to Venezuela
Icterus graduacauda - Audubon's Oriole - S Texas, Mexico
Icterus galbula - Baltimore Oriole - E North America - Colombia
Icterus abeillei - Black-backed Oriole - SC Mexico
Icterus bullockii - Bullock's Oriole - W North America - Mexico to Nicaragua
Icterus pustulatus - Streak-backed Oriole - Widespread Middle America
Icterus leucopteryx - Jamaican Oriole - Jamaica, Cayman Islands
Icterus auratus - Orange Oriole - SE Mexico
Icterus nigrogularis - Yellow Oriole - N South America
Icterus gularis - Altamira Oriole - S Texas to Honduras

Nesopsar nigerrimus - Jamaican Blackbird - Jamaica

Gymnomystax mexicanus - Oriole Blackbird - Amazonia

Macroagelaius subalaris - Colombian Mountain Grackle - Colombia
Macroagelaius imthurni - Golden-tufted Mountain Grackle - Tepuis

Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster - Red-bellied Grackle - Colombia

Lampropsar tanagrinus - Velvet-fronted Grackle - W, SW Amazonia, Tepuis

Gnorimopsar chopi - Chopi Blackbird - E, SE, SC South America

Curaeus curaeus - Austral Blackbird - Southern Cone
Curaeus forbesi - Forbes's Blackbird - E Brazil

Amblyramphus holosericeus - Scarlet-headed Blackbird - SE, SC South America

Agelasticus xanthophthalmus - Pale-eyed Blackbird - Ecuador, Peru
Agelasticus cyanopus - Unicolored Blackbird - SC, E Brazil
Agelasticus thilius - Yellow-winged Blackbird - SW, SC South America

Chrysomus ruficapillus - Chestnut-capped Blackbird - NE, SC South America
Chrysomus icterocephalus - Yellow-hooded Blackbird - N, C South America

Xanthopsar flavus - Saffron-cowled Blackbird - SC South America

Pseudoleistes guirahuro - Yellow-rumped Marshbird - SE South America
Pseudoleistes virescens - Brown-and-yellow Marshbird - SE South America

Agelaioides oreopsar - Bolivian Blackbird - Bolivia
Agelaioides badius - Baywing - SC South America

Molothrus rufoaxillaris - Screaming Cowbird - SC South America
Molothrus oryzivorus - Giant Cowbird - S Mexico through N South America
Molothrus aeneus - Bronzed Cowbird - SW USA to Panama
Molothrus armenti - Bronze-brown Cowbird - Colombia - Split from M. aeneus
Molothrus bonariensis - Shiny Cowbird - SE USA though C South America
Molothrus ater - Brown-headed Cowbird - S Canada to S Mexico

Dives atroviolaceus - Cuban Blackbird - Cuba
Dives dives - Melodious Blackbird - Mexico to Nicaragua
Dives warczewiczi - Scrub Blackbird - Ecuador, Peru

Agelaius phoeniceus - Red-winged Blackbird - Widespread North America, Middle America
Agelaius assimilis - Red-shouldered Blackbird - Cuba
Agelaius tricolor - Tricolored Blackbird - California
Agelaius humeralis - Tawny-shouldered Blackbird - Hispaniola, Cuba
Agelaius xanthomus - Yellow-shouldered Blackbird - Puerto Rico

Euphagus carolinus - Rusty Blackbird - N North America - SE South America
Euphagus cyanocephalus - Brewer's Blackbird - W, C North America - Mexico

Quiscalus quiscula - Common Grackle - C, E North America
Quiscalus lugubris - Carib Grackle - Lesser Antilles, N South America
Quiscalus mexicanus - Great-tailed Grackle - S USA through W, N South America
Quiscalus major - Boat-tailed Grackle - E, SE USA
Quiscalus palustris - Slender-billed Grackle - C Mexico
Quiscalus nicaraguensis - Nicaraguan Grackle - Nicaragua
Quiscalus niger - Greater Antillean Grackle - Greater Antilles

Sturnella militaris - Red-breasted Blackbird - Costa Rica through C South America
Sturnella superciliaris - White-browed Blackbird - SC South America
Sturnella bellicosa - Peruvian Meadowlark - Ecuador to N Chile
Sturnella defilippii - Pampas Meadowlark - SE South America
Sturnella loyca - Long-tailed Meadowlark - Southern Cone
Sturnella magna - Eastern Meadowlark - SE Canada to NE Brazil
Sturnella neglecta - Western Meadowlark - W North America, Middle America

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus - Yellow-headed Blackbird - W North America, Middle America

Dolichonyx oryzivorus - Bobolink - N, C North America - C South America