Giant Cowbird

Molothrus oryzivorus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyIcteridae (New World Blackbirds and Orioles)
GenusMolothrus (Cowbirds)
SpeciesMolothrus oryzivorus (Giant Cowbird)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Brownsberg Nature Park

3 Verified sightings at Brownsberg Nature Park From 2019 to 2026

8,184 Verified sightings across all 64 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Giant Cowbird

The giant cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus) is a large passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds from southern Mexico south to northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. It may have relatively recently colonised the latter island. It is a brood parasite and lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.

The giant cowbird was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the orioles in the genus Oriolus and coined the binomial name Oriolus oryzivorus. Gmelin based his account on the "rice bird" from Cayenne that had been described in 1782 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. The specific epithet is from Latin oryza meaning "rice" and -vorus meaning "eating". The giant cowbird is now one of six cowbirds placed in the genus Molothrus that was introduced in 1832 by William Swainson.

Two subspecies are recognised: M. o. impacifus (Peters, JL, 1929) – east Mexico to west Panama M. o. oryzivorus (Gmelin, JF, 1788) – central Panama to Peru, Bolivia and north Argentina Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Brownsberg Nature Park

Psarocolius viridis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Psarocolius decumanus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cacicus cela

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Cacicus haemorrhous

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Cyanerpes caeruleus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Cyanerpes cyaneus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Hypocnemis cantator

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Lepidothrix serena

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Thamnophilus murinus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Lipaugus vociferans

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Cercomacra cinerascens

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Chlorophanes spiza

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~40%
2	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~20%
3	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
4	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
5	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
6	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
7	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
8	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
9	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
10	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
11	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
12	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
13	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
14	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
15	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
16	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
17	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
18	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
19	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
20	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
21	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
22	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
23	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
24	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
26	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
27	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
28	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
29	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
31	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
32	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
34	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
35	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
36	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
37	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
38	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
40	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	<5%
41	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
42	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
43	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
44	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
45	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
46	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
47	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
48	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
52	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
53	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
54	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
55	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
56	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
57	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
58	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	Insufficient data
59	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
60	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
61	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
62	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
63	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
64	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data

← Back to Brownsberg Nature Park

Giant Cowbird

About the Giant Cowbird

Recent sightings of Giant Cowbird in Brownsberg Nature Park

Closest Relatives at Brownsberg Nature Park

Green Oropendola

Crested Oropendola

Yellow-rumped Cacique

Red-rumped Cacique

Purple Honeycreeper

Red-legged Honeycreeper

Guianan Warbling-Antbird

White-fronted Manakin

Mouse-colored Antshrike

Screaming Piha

Gray Antbird

Green Honeycreeper

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found