Cardinals

Papa Cardinal Is Raising A Baby Cowbird

For the second year, I have had one of my cardinal families get fooled into raising cowbirds instead of their own babies. Fortunately the cardinals raise 4 or 5 clutches of babies each season so they also raised plenty of their own. These were perched outside my window with papa getting ready to feed junior.
Brown-headed Cowbird fledgling (Molothrus ater)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

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