Parasitized bird nest: 2 Kirtland's warbler eggs, 1 brown-headed cowbird egg

Photo By/Credit

Cassandra Waldrop

Media Usage Rights/License
Public Domain
Image
One cowbird egg is with two Kirtland’s warbler eggs in one nest, a result of a phenomenon known as brood parasitism or avian parasitism. This occurs when a bird lays its egg or eggs in the nest of another bird and leaves the responsibility of rearing the offspring to the other bird.
Ecosystem
Forest
Subject tags
Birds