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Nearby · Portage Co.
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
(c) cello caruso-turiello, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by cello caruso-turiello · CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
BirdsIn Portage County, Ohio

Brown-headed Cowbird

Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)

Brown-headed Cowbird in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Icteridae
Genus
Molothrus
Near Portage County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 2 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (0)
  • Within its mapped range (15)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (57)
  • Recorded, season not shown (14)
  • Season shown (2)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Brown-headed Cowbird by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Athens County24 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Brown CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Butler County27 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Cuyahoga County158 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Franklin County128 · Season shownYes: year-round
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Greene County28 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hamilton County114 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Jefferson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lake County44 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lorain County40 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Lucas County49 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Madison CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Medina County33 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Montgomery County55 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Ottawa County21 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Portage County25 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ross CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Shelby CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Stark County61 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Summit County226 · Season shownYes: year-round
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Warren County24 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round

Season

When it is recorded

In Portage County

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 25 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Portage County · records of all species each week, 31,804 in all

Records per week from 25 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Brown-headed Cowbird in Portage County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Brown-headed CowbirdYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–100044
Jan 11–171156
Jan 18–240031
Jan 25–311167
Feb 1–70066
Feb 8–141174
Feb 15–210072
Feb 22–280080
Mar 1–700109
Mar 8–1400146
Mar 15–2100152
Mar 22–2800140
Mar 29 – Apr 400277
Apr 5–1100451
Apr 12–1800648
Apr 19–2500641
Apr 26 – May 253849
May 3–9531,174
May 10–1600788
May 17–23001,091
May 24–3011753
May 31 – Jun 611782
Jun 7–13221,242
Jun 14–20221,568
Jun 21–27001,383
Jun 28 – Jul 4111,344
Jul 5–11001,357
Jul 12–18111,310
Jul 19–25111,431
Jul 26 – Aug 1001,439
Aug 2–8001,037
Aug 9–15001,056
Aug 16–22001,145
Aug 23–2900911
Aug 30 – Sep 500930
Sep 6–1200986
Sep 13–1921974
Sep 20–26001,199
Sep 27 – Oct 300985
Oct 4–1000516
Oct 11–1700417
Oct 18–2400435
Oct 25–3100401
Nov 1–700278
Nov 8–1400251
Nov 15–2100228
Nov 22–2800130
Nov 29 – Dec 51182
Dec 6–120079
Dec 13–190069
Dec 20–260053
Dec 27 – Jan 20077

In Ohio

Early February to late July, middle week May 3–9

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 1,948 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 897 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Brown-headed Cowbird in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Brown-headed CowbirdYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10946,211
Jan 11–171855,146
Jan 18–241544,645
Jan 25–31774,698
Feb 1–7656,023
Feb 8–14645,888
Feb 15–21775,436
Feb 22–28846,846
Mar 1–71178,321
Mar 8–1415510,384
Mar 15–2121812,620
Mar 22–2825913,949
Mar 29 – Apr 4491019,661
Apr 5–1187826,860
Apr 12–181141039,925
Apr 19–251331041,623
Apr 26 – May 22351056,391
May 3–9170952,952
May 10–161811053,785
May 17–231351057,698
May 24–301041054,651
May 31 – Jun 696953,099
Jun 7–1361853,700
Jun 14–2074856,625
Jun 21–2751855,361
Jun 28 – Jul 452858,477
Jul 5–1143961,336
Jul 12–1836864,722
Jul 19–2529769,753
Jul 26 – Aug 119959,416
Aug 2–811559,712
Aug 9–1518855,994
Aug 16–2213754,328
Aug 23–2911351,772
Aug 30 – Sep 53257,167
Sep 6–126259,075
Sep 13–193254,543
Sep 20–2610545,860
Sep 27 – Oct 32243,180
Oct 4–102237,841
Oct 11–175430,824
Oct 18–248421,156
Oct 25–311119,021
Nov 1–75314,172
Nov 8–140012,621
Nov 15–21007,965
Nov 22–28228,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5336,083
Dec 6–12636,004
Dec 13–19335,423
Dec 20–26755,661
Dec 27 – Jan 21238,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • European Starling Sturnus vulgarisOften confused in Ohio: 19 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus236 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus213 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula181 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis112 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

When it is heard

Reported with a sound recording, too few times for a season.

From 1 iNaturalist records with a sound recording. Sounds are not kept or played here. Listen on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed66%49%
Forest18%31%
Farmland11%11%
Wetland3%5%
Barren0.9%0.6%
Grassland and shrub0.5%0.9%
Open water0.3%3%

From 797 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

1,948 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.