Brown-Headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Family | Icteridae |
| Genus | Molothrus |
| Species | Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Accidental
Distribution
Range
Known from two counties in Illinois.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Illinois
Counties
- Illinois
- Monroe, Pike
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
LC Least Concern
Assessed in 2018.
NatureServe
G5 Secure
National ranks
- Canada
- N5B Secure (breeding), N5N Secure (non-breeding)
- United States
- N5 Secure
Subnational ranks
- New Brunswick
- S3B Vulnerable (breeding)
- Yukon
- S3B Vulnerable (breeding)
- Prince Edward Island
- S1B Critically Imperiled (breeding)
- British Columbia
- S5 Secure
- Manitoba
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Saskatchewan
- S5B Secure (breeding), SUN (non-breeding)
- Ontario
- S5 Secure
- Quebec
- S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Alberta
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Nova Scotia
- S2B Imperiled (breeding)
- Northwest Territories
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Mississippi
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Delaware
- S5 Secure
- Colorado
- S5 Secure
- Minnesota
- SNRB (breeding)
- Connecticut
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Texas
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Missouri
- SNR Unranked
- Florida
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Kansas
- S5B Secure (breeding), S3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- New Mexico
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- New York
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Louisiana
- S5 Secure
- Nebraska
- S5 Secure
- District of Columbia
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Oregon
- S5 Secure
- Kentucky
- S5B Secure (breeding), S4N Apparently Secure (non-breeding)
- Georgia
- S5 Secure
- North Dakota
- SNRB (breeding)
- Illinois
- S5 Secure
- Iowa
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Alaska
- S3B Vulnerable (breeding)
- New Hampshire
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Virginia
- S5 Secure
- Wisconsin
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Tennessee
- S5 Secure
- Michigan
- S5 Secure
- West Virginia
- S4N Apparently Secure (non-breeding), S5B Secure (breeding)
- South Carolina
- S5 Secure
- South Dakota
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Nevada
- S4 Apparently Secure
- California
- SNRB (breeding), SNRN (non-breeding)
- Wyoming
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Oklahoma
- SNR Unranked
- Massachusetts
- S5 Secure
- Maine
- S4N Apparently Secure (non-breeding), S4B Apparently Secure (breeding)
- Idaho
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Alabama
- S5 Secure
- Arizona
- S5 Secure
- Arkansas
- S5 Secure
- Maryland
- S5 Secure
- Montana
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- New Jersey
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Rhode Island
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Navajo Nation
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Pennsylvania
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- Washington
- S4N Apparently Secure (non-breeding), S5B Secure (breeding)
- Utah
- S5B Secure (breeding), S3N Vulnerable (non-breeding)
- North Carolina
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Ohio
- S5 Secure
- Indiana
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Vermont
- S5B Secure (breeding)
Ranks looked up 2 July 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
References
This account was last revised 6 September 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 2 July 2026.
How to cite this account
Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783). Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-2663. https://cavebiology.org/species/molothrus-ater/ (accessed 22 October 2026).
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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