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From: dmark@acsu.buffalo.edu (David Mark)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: What bird WAS this??!
Keywords: gurgling, bowing
Message-ID: <80127@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 16 Jun 91 03:00:22 GMT
References: <25412@well.sf.ca.us> <1991Jun14.221000.12765@ingres.Ingres.COM> <25476@well.sf.ca.us>
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In article <25476@well.sf.ca.us> lp@well.sf.ca.us (Lily Pond) writes:
>However . . . there is an interesting disagreement as to what "the
>dance" represents.  One person suggests it is a mating dance, not
>unlike the dance of the sage grouse, which is also a native of prarie
>areas, and that what I had though might be baby towhees were more
>likely female cowbirds.

Very likely.  I cannot remember ever seeing a male Brown-headed Cowbird
displaying without there being a female present.  Two males were displaying
to/at a female on my back lawn this afternoon.

>The second suggestion is that the babies were baby cowbirds who had 
>had their eggs placed in a towhee nest, and that the dance was for the
>purpose of arousing in those baby cowbirds' hearts a resounding recognition.

Seems pretty unlikely to me.  I am not familiar with any such system
in use by other birds, either.

>So, what do you think?  I kind of tlike that second one, but the first seems
>more realistic . . . .   Anyone else with a guess?

Immature cowbirds are very steaked below, and kind-of scaly above.  Adult
female cowbirds are quite uniform gray-brown above, slightly streaked
below.

It also seems a little unlikely that juvenile towhees would be at a feeder
without parents-- were there any adult towhees at the feeder at the time?

David Mark
dmark@sun.acsu.buffalo.edu