Molothrus aeneus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The bronzed cowbird (Molothrus aeneus), also known as the red-eyed cowbird, is a small icterid native to North America. The bronze-brown cowbird, which is restricted to the Caribbean coast of Colombia, was formerly considered to be an isolated population of this species.
They breed from the U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana south through Central America to Panama. They tend to be found in farmland, brush, and feedlots. Outside the breeding season, they are found in very open habitats, and roost in thick woods. These birds forage in open areas, often near cattle in pastures. Their diet mostly consists of seeds and insects, along with snails during breeding season for a calcium source.
The male bronzed cowbird is 20 cm (7.9 in) long and weighs 68 g (2.4 oz), with green-bronze... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 4 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 10 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bronzed Cowbird sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 127th most-seen of the 216 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–July, September and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bronzed Cowbird in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January–March, August and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bronzed Cowbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
23rd of 46
Of the 46 parks where we can rate Bronzed Cowbird sightings, Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve ranks 23rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 20%), Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%) and Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 20%).
Same family: Icteridae
The closest relatives of the Bronzed Cowbird that you can see in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (family Icteridae, New World Blackbirds and Orioles) are Great-tailed Grackle (about 50%), Red-winged Blackbird (about 20%) and Hooded Oriole (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bronzed Cowbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (48 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
