[TN-Bird] Odd Couple UTK Gardens

I was watching some small birds in the gardens at the University of 
Tennessee today and noticed this juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird following 
a Song Sparrow around. At first I thought they might be playing, and 
then I noticed the open mouth and fluttering wings of a young bird 
waiting for food.
The images are not all perfect, but the story was pretty interesting ... 
at least to me.

The Odd Couple
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353137288_MGP5Z-L.jpg

Odd Couple #2
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353137364_PdGLn-L.jpg

Now what do you want?
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353137226_vPWbb-L.jpg

Has a mouthful
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353137672_uqd8e-L.jpg

Feeding
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353137788_GjGEf-L.jpg

Oops! That one almost got away!
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353137767_jiJa5-L.jpg

Another Feeding
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353138284_t6ndS-L.jpg

Still Another Mouthful
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353138277_ppiKF-L.jpg

Momma Sparrow finally flew off after this photo
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/353138472_GAFPB-L.jpg


The Brown-headed Cowbird is the only brood parasite common across North 
America. A female cowbird makes no nest of her own, but instead lays her 
eggs in the nests of other bird species, which then raise the young 
cowbirds.
The Brown-headed Cowbird lays eggs in the nests of many different 
species of birds. Recent genetic analyses have shown that some female 
cowbirds will use a number of different hosts, but most females 
specialize on one particular host species.

I wonder if Momma Sparrow thought to herself .... Now that's a big ugly 
baby!  LOL

Bob Howdeshell
Maryville, Tennessee



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