Yellow-billed Cuckoo

I consider myself lucky to see Yellow-billed Cuckoos once or twice a year, but this year I’ve spotted one four different times. They are medium-sized birds related to the much more common (at least around here) and somewhat larger Greater Roadrunner. They lay their eggs over a week or so in a rather flat nest. Occasionally…

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbirds are considered to be a bit of a pest.  They are brood parasites, meaning they lay their eggs in other species nests and leave the work of raising them to the host parents.  Ornithologists point out that this behavior was beneficial for their nomadic life-style. Before the arrival of Europeans and their cattle,…