Subject: [Tweeters] cowbirds and Robins
Date: May 30 15:16:17 2006
From: LINDA PHILLIPS - linda_phillips1252 at msn.com


Tweeters,
To confirm what Jeff said, I watched a Robin sit tight in it's nest while a Cowbird lurked in the outer branched of it's bush. After watching for a while I scared the Cowbird away but the Robin didn't budge. I have seen Golden-crowned Kinglets feeding a fledgling Cowbird. Those poor little birds.
Linda Phillips
Kenmore 98028-2616

linda_phillips1252 at msn.com<mailto:linda_phillips1252 at msn.com>


Jeff Kozma wrote:
I believe Robins are ejectors, they are able to discriminate between their
own eggs and the cowbird eggs and are large enough to eject them if they
find them in the nest. Robins are also very aggressive at nest defense,
which proves a very good deterrent from keeping cowbirds from slipping in
and dropping an egg. There is very little if any parasitism of nests of
other highly aggressive species such as kingbirds, mockingbirds, and Western
Wood Pewees.

Jeff Kozma
Yakima