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Cowbirds are birds belonging to the genus ''Molothrus'' in the family Icteridae. They are brood parasitic New World birds which are unrelated to the Old World cuckoos, one of which, the common cuckoo, is the most famous brood parasitic bird. The ''Molothrus'' genus contains: * Screaming cowbird, ''Molothrus rufoaxillaris'' * Giant cowbird, ''Molothrus oryzivorus'' (formerly in ''Scaphidura'') * Bronzed cowbird, ''Molothrus aeneus'' * Shiny cowbird, ''Molothrus bonariensis'' * Brown-headed cowbird, ''Molothrus ater'' The non-brood parasitic baywing was formerly placed in this genus; it is now classified as ''Agelaioides badius''. == Behavior == These birds feed on insects, including the large numbers that may be stirred up by cattle. In order for the birds to remain mobile and stay with the herd, they have adapted by laying their eggs in other birds' nests. The cowbird will watch for when its host lays eggs, and when the nest is left unattended, the female will come in and lay its own eggs. The female cowbird may continue to observe the nest after laying her eggs. If the cowbird egg is removed, the female cowbird may destroy the host's eggs (see "Mafia hypothesis" for an explanation of this behavior).〔 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「cowbird」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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