Convex-billed cowbird (SciiFii)

The convex-billed cowbird (Pandanaris convexa) is a species of bird in the family Icteridae, and the only living member of the genus Pandanaris, that originally lived in North America during the Pleistocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across North America to help boost biodiversity. The convex-billed cowbird is 36 centimeters (14 inches) long, weighs 180 grams (6.3 oz) and is iridescent black in color with a yellowish-brown head and neck. The convex-billed cowbird is is a quiet bird, particularly for an icterid, but the male has an unpleasant screeched whistle, "shweeaa-tpic-tpic". The call is a sharp "chek-chik". They are also very adept mimics. This gregarious bird feeds mainly on insects and seeds, including rice, and forages on the ground or in trees. It rarely perches on cattle, unlike some of its relatives, but it will ride on capybaras, maras, tapirs, chalicotheres, and ground sloths as it removes horse flies. Like other cowbirds, it is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of blackbirds, oropendolas and caciques. The eggs are of two types, either whitish and unspotted, or pale blue or green with dark spots and blotches. The host's eggs and chicks are not destroyed. Their icterid hosts breed colonially, and defend their nests vigorously, so even a large, bold and aggressive species like the convex-billed cowbird has to cover an extensive territory to find sufficient egg-laying opportunities. Several convex-billed cowbird eggs may be laid in one host nest. The conservation status of the convex-billed cowbird is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the convex-billed cowbird's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii