AttractBirds.app
Plan My Garden
Home / Birds by Location / Illinois / Brown-headed Cowbird

Midwest · Mississippi Flyway

Brown-headed Cowbird in Illinois

Molothrus ater — Icteridae

CommonAbundance
Year-round residentSeasonal status
12Active months

About Brown-headed Cowbird in Illinois

Brown-headed Cowbird is a North American backyard bird.

In Illinois, this species is classified as common. It is a year-round resident, present in all 12 months.

Monthly Activity — Brown-headed Cowbird in Illinois

Relative frequency of observations by month. Higher bars indicate peak periods for this species.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
RegularSeasonalRare

Identification

FamilyIcteridae
View full Brown-headed Cowbird profile →

Best Time to See Brown-headed Cowbird in Illinois

January
Active
February
Active
March
Active
April
Active
May
Active
June
Active
July
Active
August
Active
September
Active
October
Active
November
Active
December
Active

Other birds in Illinois

Birds you might also encounter in Illinois.

CG
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaYear-round
RB
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusYear-round
BO
Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbulaSummer visitor
OO
Orchard OrioleIcterus spuriusSummer visitor

Brown-headed Cowbird in other states

NDNorth DakotaSDSouth DakotaNENebraskaKSKansasMNMinnesotaIAIowaMOMissouriWIWisconsin

Brown-headed Cowbird in Illinois: Quick Facts

The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a common bird in Illinois. It is classified as a year-round resident in the state, falling within the Midwest region and the Mississippi Flyway migration corridor.

For birders in Chicago and throughout Illinois, knowing the seasonal patterns of Brown-headed Cowbird can help plan birding trips and backyard feeding strategies.

Use the monthly activity chart above to plan your birding outings, and explore other bird species found in Illinois using the related birds section.