Family: Icteridae, Blackbirds and Orioles view all from this family

Description ADULT MALE Has black plumage overall, with bronze sheen to hood and back and blue sheen to wings and tail. ADULT FEMALE Has dark brown plumage overall, darkest on wings and tail. JUVENILE Similar to female, but iris is dark.

Dimensions Length: 8 1/2" (22 cm)

Habitat A mainly Central American species with a toehold in southern states; locally common summer visitor (mainly May-Aug) to farmland; winters mainly in Central America.

Observation Tips Fairly easy to see in southern Texas.

Range Florida, California, Texas, Southeast, Southwest, Rocky Mountains

Voice Song is a series of weird gulping gurgles and up_slurred squeaks; call is a harsh tchak.

Discussion Plump, thick-billed cowbird. Relative head size changes according to whether generous nape feathers are raised and ruffled or not. All adult birds have beady red eyes. Nest parasite of other songbirds. Sexes are dissimilar.