Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Molothrus ater | Brown-Headed Cowbird 



ABBREVIATION : 
MOAT

COMMON NAMES : 
   brown-headed cowbird
   cowbird
   buffalo bird


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name for brown-headed cowbird is
Molothrus ater (Boddaert) [4,57].  It is a member of the family
Emberizidae [35]. The three recognized subspecies are as follows:

M. a. ssp. ater, brown-headed cowbird
M. a. ssp. obscurus, dwarf cowbird
M. a. ssp. artemisiae, western or sagebrush cowbird [3,4,35].

Introgression between western and dwarf cowbirds has been occurring
since contact in the 1930's in the Sierra Nevada.  The size of western
cowbirds in the area of overlap has been decreasing [21].


ORDER : 
Passeriformes

CLASS : 
Bird

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Janet Sullivan, May 1995


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Sullivan, Janet. 1995. Molothrus ater. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Molothrus ater | Brown-Headed Cowbird