Farmland, grassland, forest edge, deciduous woodland. The brown-headed cowbird is a member of the diverse blackbird family. Males are glossy black but have a brown head. Females are brownish gray.
Juveniles are also gray but their breasts are streaked and lighter in appearance.
All have a stout finch-like beak. Brown-headed cowbirds are found from Saskatchewan and southern Canada, through the lower 48 states and into northern Mexico. They are migratory and arrive in Connecticut in March, remain through the summer and leave in late-September. A few, however, remain in Connecticut throughout the year. In Connecticut, cowbirds display courtship behavior in March and early April.