Subject: Song Sparrow parasitism
Date: Aug 29 00:22:04 1999
From: McBrdwchr at aol.com - McBrdwchr at aol.com


Tweets:

Song Sparrows are among my favorite yard birds; singing gloriously from the
woods in spring, patrolling the ivied, yard edges and planter boxes daily for
bugs all year. I seldom see one go near a feeder but they do like a little
of the cracked corn I toss out as a diversion for the squirrels I can't get
rid of because the neighbors feed them peanuts that they bury in my yard.
Last year I fascinatedly watched two Song Sparrow families raise two-chick
broods each. They were the cutest, buffy fluff-balls! I looked forward to
it again this year.

But sad to say, instead of their own offspring they're saddled with
Brown-headed Cowbird babies: Two weeks ago a single Song Sparrow parent with
one BHCO. And last week another single SOSP parent running itself ragged
trying to feed two baby birds almost twice its size, flutter-winging
helplessly, and noisily running around after it yelling, "Gimmee some!" In
the Audubon Encyclopedia John Terres says Song Sparrows are most frequently
victimized by Cowbirds.

Okay, I just wish I hadn't seen it in my own yard.

Amy McQuade
McBrdwchr at aol.com
Mercer Island