Evening star., 1949-10-11
This and.That
By Charles E. TraceweH
"WEsT KIRKE STREET

Dear Sir:
Can you tell us about this bird which
we have not seen before in so years in Chevy
Chase?
TT first came to the open porch feeding
station about the middle Of August.
1T was larger than an English sparrow
and smaller than a catbird, and shorter,
with rather short tail.
1T was an even. soft gray. with the head
and breast so light as to be almost white.
1T had sweet, tranquil expression, and
was quiet and gentle in its actions
I'VE thought it was migrating bird. but
since then it has come every day. There is
only the one Of its kind.
at was shy at first. but is now quite at
home, and eats freely, but does not cnase
the other birds. .,
During the weeks it has been here 1t
has changed materially in color, and is now
almost all black
There are still narrow gray stripes along
the tips of the wings, around the neck, and
around the part of the tail adjoining the
body.
TT walks rather than hops. and its walk
is rather like that of the starlings. 1t has
not grown in size at all.
1--WE went to the Museum of Natural His
tory to find its counterpart but there was
nothing at all like it.
Every truly yours, K. L. M"
This is young male cowbird.
In time, the head will be brown, the body
black.
One tends to think Of the cowbird as just
a parasite, with all that means. but actually
1t is an interesting, beautiful bird.
Although the mother cowbird, the really
1.4x IN ttHa
nests of other birds) is not as handsome as
her mate she is pretty enough in her brown
ish-gray coat touched with pale gray.
The adult male has head, neck and upper
chest plain brown. the rest OF the plumage
glossy greenish-black, with almost violet
overtones on the back
The young vary from dark brown to sooty
grayish- brown, the feathers with narrow
pale gray-brown and whitish margins
Under parts, streaked. until the growing bird
takes on the mature colors.
What amazes so many persons about the
cowbird is that 1t is handsome.
Having heard all their lives that the
creature is q parasite, they have q mental
picture of sort of bird scoundrel, and are
surprised to find that 1t actually has rather
sweet expression!
And surely the male and the babies have
nothing to do with its evil reputation. Nor
does CNe mOLQer COWDlrQ SeeLn 10 care. II
we look upon all birds as almost automatic
doing what they do because instinct tells
them, then it is impossible to hold much
against them for their evil deed of letting
some other bird mother bring up their own
babies.
The bad part of it all is that the baby
cowbird is so much lustier and larger than
the small rightful birds-usually the cow
bird mother selects warbler's nest-that the
rightful heirs get the least food and mostly
die.
It has been estimated that for every cow
bird baby we see at least five other birds
have paid with their lives.
One may question If cowbird baby is
worth the price, but certainly when one
sees it walking triumphantly in its youth it
is impossible not to sympathize with it,
especially since it knows nothing about any,
thing at all, at least from human stand
point.
Mrs. Jo-Ann S, of Clinton, Md, wants
to know about an odd looking bird she saw
the other day in her grape arbor.
1T was about the size of cardinal" she
writes, land was very sleek looking. The
back was a light brown; red breast: the
underside of the tail was white: the crown
was red and white. My description is hazy,
| as couldn't get close enough for good
look. Can you tell me what bird It was?"
From this description. 1t is difficult to get
| q picture of the bird, but 1t may have been
| 4 yAlloW.b .bellied SepgickeT. :,