Dennis Forsyth writes: I think Mike noted his first-of-the-year cowbirds a few weeks ago. Although I see them on Denman at this time of year and through the summer I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in my yard until today when this pair showed up. They were in full courting mode with lots of bowing, clucking, following, etc.
What with my House Wren interloper and now these guys maybe this is my year for parasitic passerines. Dennis
Mike Morrell comments:
Both members of this pair look like females to me. As far as I know even second-year males (i.e. first season after hatch-year) have adult male plumage.
Same sex pairs (female-female) are known in some species. Female-female pairs in Western(?) Gulls in California copulate with males but bond with females, and the same-sex pair sometimes successfully raises a double-size clutch. But since Cowbirds don’t tend their young, it’s hard to see how this would benefit them. Maybe some females just prefer females. Or maybe the behaviour Dennis is seeing is something other than courtship.
The more you look, the more you see.
Mike