Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Science Article 11
abstract
We characterized several equivocal aspects of the breeding biology of the broodparasitic Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) at a study site in northeastern Illinois. Atotal of 175 offspring and a partial sample of parents were sampled and genotyped at sixmicrosatellite loci. A combination of sibling-group and parentage assignment enabled us tocharacterize mating behavior and area used for reproduction by breeding adults, even forthose not sampled.
BILL M. STRAUSBERGER AND MARY V. ASHLEY, The Auk 120(2):433-445, 2003