The Incidence of Nest Parasitism by the Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) on Roadside Nesting Birds in Nebraska

Gary L. Hergenrader

doi:10.2307/4082452

The Incidence of Nest Parasitism by the Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) on Roadside Nesting Birds in Nebraska

The Auk ◽

10.2307/4082452 ◽

1962 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 85-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Gary L. Hergenrader

Keyword(s):

Molothrus Ater ◽

Nest Parasitism

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A Record of Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Nest Parasitism of Rufous-Crowned Sparrows (Aimophila ruficeps)

The Southwestern Naturalist ◽

10.2307/3670570 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 253 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Donald B. Miles

Keyword(s):

Molothrus Ater ◽

Nest Parasitism ◽

Aimophila Ruficeps

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Owens Valley nesting willow flycatcher under pressure

California Fish and Wildlife Journal ◽

10.51492/cfwj.cesasi.17 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 286-297

Author(s):

Lacey Greene ◽

Elsbeth Otto ◽

Chris McCreedy

Keyword(s):

Nest Success ◽

Molothrus Ater ◽

Mono Lake ◽

Owens Valley ◽

Nest Parasitism ◽

Breeding Sites ◽

Riparian Birds ◽

Parasitism Rates ◽

Nesting Site ◽

Drought Conditions

Willow flycatchers (Empidonax traillii; WIFL) nest along the Owens River and Horton Creek in the Owens Valley. Migrating WIFL visit these sites as well as many other tributaries to both the Owens River and Mono Lake. We estimate there are approximately 35 WIFL territories in the Owens valley, or 5% of territories in California. Nesting WIFL in the Owens Valley are likely the federally endangered southwestern subspecies (E. t. extimus; SWIFL). The Chalk Bluff nesting site is particularly important as large nesting areas tend to be both rare and important for SWIFL and it contains more than half (63%) of all known WIFL territories in the region, which also represents 12% of all nesting SWIFL in California. Between 2014 and 2016, WIFL territory numbers declined from 37 to 27 across the three largest breeding sites. Territory numbers may have been influenced by drought conditions or brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater; BHCO) nest parasitism. In 2015 and 2016, comprehensive nest monitoring found nest parasitism rates were >40%, and nest success was lower in parasitized nests (16%; N = 5/31) compared with non-parasitized nests (60%; N = 31/52). BHCO management could potentially improve nest success for WIFL as well as many other open-cup nesting riparian birds in the Owens Valley.

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