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)
- DE
- 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
- NE
- S5 Secure
- District of Columbia
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Oregon
- S5 Secure
- Kentucky
- S5B Secure (breeding), S4N Apparently Secure (non-breeding)
- Georgia
- S5 Secure
- ND
- SNRB (breeding)
- Illinois
- S5 Secure
- Iowa
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- Alaska
- S3B Vulnerable (breeding)
- NH
- 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
- ME
- 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)
- NJ
- S5B Secure (breeding), S5N Secure (non-breeding)
- RI
- S5B Secure (breeding)
- NN
- 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)
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
References
- Webb, D.W., Taylor, S.J. & Krejca, J.K. 1993. The biological resources of Illinois caves and other subterranean environments. Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA. 143 pp.
How to cite this account
Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783). Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-2663. https://cavebiology.org/species/molothrus-ater/ (accessed 7 September 2026).
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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