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Should You Remove Brown-Headed Cowbird Eggs - Brood Parasitism
In this video, I go over what to do if you find a Brown Headed Cowbird egg in a nest. Some well meaning people may remove the eggs to try to "save" the host species chicks, but the best course of action is just leaving the egg alone and letting nature do its thing. In this video I cover some of the main reasons not to, so you can be informed on the scientific data.
If you don't know what brood parasitism is, it is basically when a bird lays an egg or two in another species of birds nest. Usually, they will eject one of the host species eggs to make room for their own. The egg has a shorter incubation time so it hatches before all the other chicks. Then, the host species raises the chick as their own, sometimes at the cost of their own brood.
Birds that use this behavior are sometimes vilified because what they are doing may seem "wrong" or "lazy" to us, but it is never right to apply our values or morals to something that has been occurring in nature for thousands of years. Saying that brood parasitism is wrong and that all birds that use it are evil is pretty much the same as going after a raptor that has just snatched up a sick squirrel. Catching a sick animal could be considered wrong in our terms because it could not run away or defend itself but the same point still stands that it is just nature.
It is terrible to watch the host species suffer, but a lot are evolving to raise the cowbird chicks as well as their own.
If you liked this video, please don't forget to leave a thumbs up, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you know when I release a new video.
If you have any questions about this unique behavior feel free to comment down below and I will gladly try to answer them for you.
My video on Brown-Headed Cowbirds: th-cam.com/video/49KAMk9m-PE/w-d-xo.html
Article from NestWatch: nestwatch.org/learn/general-bird-nest-info/brown-headed-cowbirds/
Awesome Article on How Gray Catbirds Beat Brown Headed Cowbirds: www.audubon.org/news/the-catbird-has-simple-trick-outsmart-brood-parasiteswww.audubon.org/news/the-catbird-has-simple-trick-outsmart-brood-parasites
Study On Nest Abandonment: www.jstor.org/stable/3882577?seq=1
Study on Retaliation of Cowbird Mothers: www.pnas.org/content/104/11/4479
List of Birds Protected Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act: www.fws.gov/birds/management/managed-species/migratory-bird-treaty-act-protected-species.php
All footage is my own unless otherwise specified
Attribution:
Forest Video by Everett Bumstead from Pexels
Thanks for Watching! :)
มุมมอง: 7 329

วีดีโอ

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มุมมอง 11K3 ปีที่แล้ว
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มุมมอง 17K3 ปีที่แล้ว
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มุมมอง 1.9K3 ปีที่แล้ว
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มุมมอง 2963 ปีที่แล้ว
In this video, I talk about the range, habitat, diet, nesting, appearance, behavior, and conservation of one of my favorite backyard birds, the American Goldfinch. From the carotenoid pigments in their feathers, to the effect of their all seeds diet on Brown-Headed Cowbird chicks, this video covers everything. If you enjoyed, please don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell...
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มุมมอง 154K3 ปีที่แล้ว
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มุมมอง 8953 ปีที่แล้ว
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มุมมอง 1473 ปีที่แล้ว
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มุมมอง 2203 ปีที่แล้ว
With Mothers Day coming up, here is a video on 5 bird moms who are super awesome. From Orioles who weave intricate nests to Brown Headed Cowbirds that don't even care for their own eggs. In this video I will cover a bunch of bird moms. There are so many cool bird moms and I only just cover a few in this video, I can think of so many other birds like, ones with the smallest eggs or the weirdest ...

ความคิดเห็น

  • @yanninapalomeque2159
    @yanninapalomeque2159 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Love Mordecai from a Regular Show 😂😂😂

  • @kidowmer
    @kidowmer 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Tq for sharing about this beautiful little bird. ❤😊

  • @cornpopwasabaddude4729
    @cornpopwasabaddude4729 14 วันที่ผ่านมา

    In this case human need to intervene mother nature before the Parasite bird destroying most bird species to their extinction.

  • @frederickvanpelt6393
    @frederickvanpelt6393 24 วันที่ผ่านมา

    That was fun. I've been feeding Jays for about 6 years now and wondered how long they live. I have between 10-20 that show up for peanuts everyday.

  • @JS-oq5go
    @JS-oq5go 27 วันที่ผ่านมา

    They owe me $100,000.00 in bird seed. I have tried EVERTHING TO DETER THEM 🇨🇦

  • @brendonhepburn1936
    @brendonhepburn1936 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Blue Jays are the David Hasselhoff's of the sky !

  • @rajjisalutezeenews4822
    @rajjisalutezeenews4822 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I am indian you give me super knowledge about Bird

  • @christinegunst2692
    @christinegunst2692 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I found a nestling on the ground yesterday after very windy weather. I contacted two rescue organisations and the local vet in the process of working out what to do. This is exactly what I was advised to do and very concisely explained. I have put the bird back in a nearby nest. Just hoping it was the right one. I am happy 😊 to think that my having handled the bird would not caused problems with the parents.

    • @Thats_Right80
      @Thats_Right80 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Did the parents come BACK??

  • @donnadatino
    @donnadatino หลายเดือนก่อน

    I live in NJ They come to my hummingbird feeder

  • @lindamiller5026
    @lindamiller5026 หลายเดือนก่อน

    A gal suggested placing big rubber snakes on the ground as squirrels hate snakes. I had three in a toy box for my grandsons. I hope it helps.

  • @OleScrappy
    @OleScrappy 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    No choice but to keep nearly full feathered baby pushed 2 times from nest. Perhaps the runt since he was weak, but after third feeding much stronger with healthy poop. I play Swallow bird songs before feeding mealworms and soaked high protein cat food after squishing water off. Thanks for tips on raising. Hope he survives since all wildlife is in danger these days.

    • @DebraBrown-r2f
      @DebraBrown-r2f หลายเดือนก่อน

      I'm thinking I found a runt also on my porch yesterday, he's fully feathered but very tiny. It can't fly at all and tries walking around but it's very clumsy lol. I brought it inside and have been caring for it, and it seems to be doing OK so far. I'm praying he will survive so I can release him once he can fly. I named it Jack.

  • @mr219811
    @mr219811 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I found a flegling, and its wing was bleeding, so we have taken it home, and he won't eat and can't stand and is dying 😢😢😢 wete will try to save him

  • @4rchim
    @4rchim 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Once saw a bird on the ground and I thought he was sick bc ha seems to be unable to fly then after a moment 2 birds flew by and watch him. So that is his parents. It's funny because he looked like a normal full grown bird lmao. I can't even tell the diff but seeing his parents made me realize that he's just out here learning to fly lmao

  • @xiantheKJ
    @xiantheKJ 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    i found a bird laying in the ground and maybe hes mom dropped him he had a red thing in his chest

  • @user-qd3ek9cz5b
    @user-qd3ek9cz5b 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I found 2 nestlings couple days ago, didn't feed them, called rehabbers and got no response so that didn't work and they died over night 😢

  • @CintiaTelegdi-l8v
    @CintiaTelegdi-l8v 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    what should I do if the sparrow sapling got cold and died? but unfortunately this happened this morning because we adopted and cared for him yesterday

  • @alijawad3706
    @alijawad3706 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I got a baby bird today and it's a nestling But i took it to my house feed it water and some Milk, i know now milk not very good but idk what to do and i can't locate a nest where the bird from and i can't leave him with new nest in the tree Bec.. RED Ants are eating him, he got blood in his lower beak HELP

  • @carloscardoza2555
    @carloscardoza2555 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I’ve also heard of scrub jays.. Are those similar to the blue jays?

  • @norakat
    @norakat 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Not sure about this advice. There are plenty of people who have successfully rehabilitated their own nestlings and fledglings. I guess you have to be willing to commit to taking care of them. They say don’t handle too much or get too close because you can imprint the bird and will be difficult to release back into the wild.

  • @UncleVegetable
    @UncleVegetable 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You can buy cayenne pepper seeds which don’t bother birds but squirrels hate them.

  • @violetv3958
    @violetv3958 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    So helpful

  • @Addy_725
    @Addy_725 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Me and my parents found this bird outside and decided to take it in because there’s no trees around me and it won’t stop tripping

  • @NM_kawaii
    @NM_kawaii 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I fed it some rice at night and found them dead in the morning 😢

  • @MyDogIsABean
    @MyDogIsABean 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Oh shoot! I took a fledgling! I will go put him back where I found him. I'm sorry

  • @liseroy7521
    @liseroy7521 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My feeder has Niger and they are still in my feeder along with the chipmunks will try some of the things you suggested and hopefully something will help.

  • @dankmeatneck
    @dankmeatneck 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thank you! I have been getting more and more captivated with corvids and the most common one I see is blue jays! Very beautiful to watch, and fun personalities 😂. I just recently started to cater to their preferences and it’s been so good to experience 🤓

  • @Panickbutten
    @Panickbutten 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I found two baby birds in the span of 3 days the exact some place

  • @randomhopewermer2845
    @randomhopewermer2845 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I don’t know if you will react my comment, but there is a really really bad storm in Illinois and the mom left him and the nest nowhere to be found. I don’t know what to do with him.

  • @Botic24
    @Botic24 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    a fledling got hit by a car infront of me and now i have it in a box with water and some chiken food and a black berry but it lost most of its featers when it got hit hes doing better but idk where to set it free cuz i have a cat and i cant keep it in the house much longer please help me

  • @00KitKat
    @00KitKat 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I just took home a fletchling, i could not find the parents anywhere and i waited for a while i couldnt see anybirds or hear any apart from pigeons. Got anytips on looking after it? It still have some of the white fluffy baby feathers on it

  • @timgray5763
    @timgray5763 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Just use hot pepper birdseed I don’t bother the birds with the squirrels won’t eat it

  • @kt1122
    @kt1122 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Found a fledgling after the recent hurricane storms. Should I bring it back to the spot I found it or wait and find a wildlife rehab?

  • @AlexanderMartinez-qf7vw
    @AlexanderMartinez-qf7vw 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    What if the bird nest is in a 10 foot tree😃and you lost your ladder 🪜

  • @Aqua.on.paws.
    @Aqua.on.paws. 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    i found a birf bc my cat brought it in. it was chirping and fluttering. soo i put it in a box ..

  • @Shinesaur
    @Shinesaur 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Just had the pleasure of having 3 baby birdies grow from my front door wreath, was fun to watch for 3-4 weeks

  • @twizzltwizzl7962
    @twizzltwizzl7962 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    All these videos are completely useless, besides saying to take to someone else, you shouldnt even post videos that offer no useful information.

  • @KitDraws_Dragons
    @KitDraws_Dragons 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    we left a fledgling overnight the parent didn’t come back

  • @eao1978
    @eao1978 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I just found 2 baby birds in my basement. Should i just leave them there? They do look like fledglings.

  • @WindUpWayne
    @WindUpWayne 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I made a nestling a nest in the shade then waited all day for it’s mother last time and it died of dehydration/starvation. I cried all night wishing I tried to feed it early 😢 I just found another one with no nest in sight in the middle of the side walk… screw this I’m taking care of it this time.

  • @AliyahCalantas
    @AliyahCalantas 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I found today it's fledgling bat it cant fly so i took him and take care and hinever ate why?

  • @cizrek
    @cizrek 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I'm sorry but this was utterly useless to me. You did not explain anything about caring for a fledgling. Here is a video on how to fix a car: take it to the mechanic....

  • @clayton9136
    @clayton9136 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thanks!

  • @gopalpatel1133
    @gopalpatel1133 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    poor sound quality

    • @reflux043
      @reflux043 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Poor hearing! The sound is fine.

    • @reflux043
      @reflux043 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Poor hearing! The sound is fine.

  • @GodOfChicken
    @GodOfChicken 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    What if the parents aren’t coming to get the fletching?

  • @Therianpawz-123
    @Therianpawz-123 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I found a ? in my bird house and don’t know if it is abandoned!

  • @dakotagarcia7781
    @dakotagarcia7781 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I found a fledgling just now outside my door. He freaked out when i first tried to grab him and he hid underneath a piece of outside furniture. after some inspecting, its clear his foot/leg is broken or lame. one foot is perfect, while the other one is curled up and immobile. His parents are nearby, watching. I put him in a box with some water and a crushed beetle. I will try my absolute best to leave him alone now bc when i leave my apartment, the parents fly away. unfortunately, they built their nest above concrete, so i bet its common for the fledglings to break a foot crash landing.

  • @dailyequanimity
    @dailyequanimity 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thank you! Can you microwave them after alternative boiling them for 10 minutes or is baking them better to remove the bacteria?

  • @flosaforo331
    @flosaforo331 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great video we have a nest of four baby robins that I have been in our backyard watching for sometime. Try to ensure it up in case one felll out. Today one of the four is just sitting on the branch and I know it was just a matter of time and now it’s in the backyard which is why I needed to watch your video to make sure I was doing the right thing. Thanks again.

  • @namratapoudel245
    @namratapoudel245 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I kept the baby birds in another's bird nest which has 2 other's baby birds

  • @Bloody_tds
    @Bloody_tds 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Keep it