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golfpic | all galleries >> Galleries >> Some recent shots > Baby Brown Cowbirds begging for food from inside a Red-eyed Vireo nest
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July 1, 2006

Baby Brown Cowbirds begging for food from inside a Red-eyed Vireo nest

Ottawa, Ontario. Canada

While walking along a nature trail this morning I suddenly noticed this grayish bird right in front of me at about eye level. I had never seen it before so mentioned it to another birder/photographer who was walking with me. He looked around and then noticed a nest about 8 to 10 feet up.

Two adult Red-eyed Vireos were constantly bringing back insects to feed the two young ones. However, the two young birds are not Red-eyed Vireos but rather Cowbirds. A female Cowbird had duped the Red-eyed Vireo pair into raising its young for her by laying their eggs in the nest when the Red-eyed Vireo wasn't looking. How sneaky.


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