Giant Cowbird
Molothrus oryzivorus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyIcteridae (New World Blackbirds and Orioles)
- GenusMolothrus (Cowbirds)
- SpeciesMolothrus oryzivorus (Giant Cowbird)
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 →
Recent sightings of Giant Cowbird in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park
Bronzed Cowbird
Molothrus aeneus
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Montezuma Oropendola
Psarocolius montezuma
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Chestnut-headed Oropendola
Psarocolius wagleri
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Altamira Oriole
Icterus gularis
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Yellow-billed Cacique
Amblycercus holosericeus
Spot-breasted Oriole
Icterus pectoralis
Streak-backed Oriole
Icterus pustulatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Giant Cowbird in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Cowbird sighting in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Giant Cowbird in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Giant Cowbird in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park in our monthly data.