{"id":58897,"date":"2019-07-05T03:55:54","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T09:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=58897"},"modified":"2024-04-19T03:16:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T08:16:14","slug":"goofy-looking-upside-down-displaying-male-brown-headed-cowbird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/07\/05\/goofy-looking-upside-down-displaying-male-brown-headed-cowbird\/","title":{"rendered":"Goofy Looking Upside Down Displaying Male Brown-headed Cowbird"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"UpsideUpside down male Brown-headed Cowbird<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the bird photos I take are disasters but the behaviors they can show are fascinating to me so I keep them any way. This photo of a displaying male Brown-headed Cowbird in a goofy upside down pose is not a good photo technically but I absolutely love the behavior it shows.<\/p>\n

There weren’t any female Brown-headed Cowbirds that I could see in the area of the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> when I took this image. I could only see about 4 to 5 other male in close proximity to this male so I don’t believe this crazy pose was done to attract a mate. I also don’t think it was done to intimidate the nearby males and I am not sure at all why the cowbird got into this position.<\/p>\n

What I do know for certain is that this was a hard photo for me to take because I tried so hard not to laugh and I failed. My laughter jiggled my gear and I got several images of the cowbird that were a blurry mess, this one though is sharp enough. The light angle was awful too but I can’t help but giggle when I see this photo and that is enough of a reason for me to keep and to share it. I hope it causes someone else to laugh too.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good and so is laughter.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Brown-headed Cowbird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This photo of a displaying male Brown-headed Cowbird in a goofy upside down pose is not a good photo technically but I absolutely love the behavior it shows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,425,26],"tags":[4004,4226,2428,7399,7400,779,730,4062,4094,1059,4092,2214,4095],"class_list":["post-58897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-brown-headed-cowbirds","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-behavior","tag-brown-headed-cowbird","tag-cowbird","tag-cowbirds","tag-displaying","tag-goofy","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-molothrus-ater","tag-refuge","tag-upside-down","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-upside-down-mia-mcpherson-5178.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fjX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":91671,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/05\/male-brown-headed-cowbird-displaying\/","url_meta":{"origin":58897,"position":0},"title":"Male Brown-headed Cowbird Displaying","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Brown-headed Cowbird breeding activity hasn't slowed down yet high in the Wasatch Mountains if this displaying male is any indication of their mating attempts.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brown-headed Cowbird male displaying, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":130524,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/07\/13\/young-brown-headed-cowbird-with-a-gluttonous-appetite\/","url_meta":{"origin":58897,"position":1},"title":"Young Brown-headed Cowbird With A Gluttonous Appetite","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a short story, based in facts, about a gluttonous young Brown-headed Cowbird that visited my friend Steve Creek's feeder in Arkansas for several days.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Brown-headed Cowbird in Arkansas, Sebastian County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/brown-headed-cowbird-immature-mia-mcpherson-6552.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/brown-headed-cowbird-immature-mia-mcpherson-6552.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/brown-headed-cowbird-immature-mia-mcpherson-6552.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/brown-headed-cowbird-immature-mia-mcpherson-6552.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70937,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/06\/17\/female-brown-headed-cowbird-in-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":58897,"position":2},"title":"Female Brown-headed Cowbird In A Serviceberry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago one of the birds that the Song Sparrows chased off was an adult female Brown-headed Cowbird that landed on a serviceberry in front of me.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Brown-headed Cowbird perched in a Utah Serviceberry, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6004.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6004.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6004.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6004.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90143,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/09\/female-brown-headed-cowbird-and-willow-catkins\/","url_meta":{"origin":58897,"position":3},"title":"Female Brown-headed Cowbird And Willow Catkins","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Late last month I photographed this female Brown-headed Cowbird surrounded by willow catkins in East Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Brown-headed Cowbird with willow catkins, East Canyon, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-willows-mia-mcpherson-0846.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-willows-mia-mcpherson-0846.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-willows-mia-mcpherson-0846.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-willows-mia-mcpherson-0846.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27488,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/08\/17\/juvenile-brown-headed-cowbird-perched-on-moth-mullein\/","url_meta":{"origin":58897,"position":4},"title":"Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird perched on Moth Mullein","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I wanted to post an image of a juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird today because despite their bad reputations as brood parasites they are native birds that I think are worth pointing my lens at.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird perched on Moth Mullein, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-6572.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-6572.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-6572.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-6572.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1800,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/01\/30\/bye-bye-blackbirds\/","url_meta":{"origin":58897,"position":5},"title":"Bye Bye Blackbirds? The USDA Is Killing Birds With DRC-1339","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 30, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently the USDA accepted responsibility for a smaller die off in South Dakota which brought to light a little known program called \"Bye bye Blackbird\" which uses DRC-1339, a poison that is also called an avicide.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Brewer's Blackbird displaying","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}