Giant Cowbird

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Giant Cowbird in Itatiaia National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Cowbird sighting in Itatiaia National Park, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Giant Cowbird in Itatiaia National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Giant Cowbird in Itatiaia National Park in our monthly data.

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 <5% · Rare

at Itatiaia National Park

21 Verified sightings at Itatiaia National Park From 2019 to 2026

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

November Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ 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 Itatiaia National Park

Molothrus bonariensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Cacicus haemorrhous

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Cacicus chrysopterus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Psarocolius decumanus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Gnorimopsar chopi

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Pseudoleistes guirahuro

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chrysomus ruficapillus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Icterus cayanensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Icterus icterus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Zonotrichia capensis

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Sicalis flaveola

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Basileuterus culicivorus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very 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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Giant Cowbird in Itatiaia National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Cowbird sighting in Itatiaia National Park, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Giant Cowbird in Itatiaia National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Giant Cowbird in Itatiaia National Park in our monthly data.

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Giant Cowbird

About the Giant Cowbird

Recent sightings of Giant Cowbird in Itatiaia National Park

Closest Relatives at Itatiaia National Park

Shiny Cowbird

Red-rumped Cacique

Golden-winged Cacique

Crested Oropendola

Chopí Blackbird

Yellow-rumped Marshbird

Chestnut-capped Blackbird

Epaulet Oriole

Orange-backed Oriole

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Saffron Finch

Golden-crowned Warbler

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers