Cowbirds and Cardinals

This udderly ridiculous bird:

Is NOT part cow:

But it is a REAL bird:

Yes!  There really is a Cowbird!

I was doing some online research on Cardinals after my blogger friend, Jodi – who takes FANTASTIC photos – posted a video of  a female Cardinal nesting in her backyard – very cool!  Check out her blog at Life In Between.  (Not only does Jodi take awesome photos of birds, she also shares some delicious recipes that look like they came from a magazine!  She recently did a silly bird in watercolors that I ADORE!)

I had no idea that cowbirds really existed!  Apparently, they are smallish blackbirds.  Cardinals are often “parasitized” by the Brown-headed Cowbird.  This means that the Cowbird waits until the female Cardinal is away, then the Cowbird visits the nest, removes an egg and then lays one of her own eggs.  (Talk about mooooving in!)  The egg is apparently similar in size.  The Cardinal then raises the Cowbird.  I had no idea birds did this!  This Cowbird is certainly milking it for all it’s worth!!!

The Cowbirds are made up of a family of Screaming, Giant, Bronzed, Shiny and Brown-headed birds…(no I’m not making this up!)

Hope you have an UDDERLY creative day!!!  🙂