These certain areas may contribute to the cowbird ' s selection for breeding areas. When the cowbird has settled near a forest edge, the activity of other bird species is likely used to further refine selection of a suitable breeding area. There are several methods used to determine the parasitism by the cowbird on host species. The Bayesian analysis is a method used in studies ranging from epidemiology to population census. There have been few studies done with the Bayesian method outside medical settings.
Bayesian methodology is used to estimate the size of populations from data collected.
This particular analysis is used to estimate the parameters prior to distribution. The empirical Bayes application is employed to estimate proportions using information obtained in a study of parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird. For the empirical Bayes method, a hypothetical application is used to determine factors influencing the host species. The Bayes method does not work according to typical logic. The percentage alone is not enough information to draw conclusions concerning parasitism.