Can there be bad birds? Are there bad dogs? That depends on the habits of your dog, I guess. But, really, in nature are there “bad” behaviors or isn’t nearly everyone (except humans, and maybe, dogs) following a common set of rules? So I will leave dogs and humans out of this discussion, which is not to say they have a free pass. Brown-headed Cowbirds are handsome birds in my opinion. They are prevalent in many areas. They seem to mingle well with other bird groups. What’s not to like? Well, one of their defining characteristics is “brood parasite.” Parasite has never been a sought after characteristic among humans, and humans don’t tend to regard parasites in a positive light. So how should we regard the Brown-headed Cowbird? Cowbirds do not build nests. They appropriate the nests built by other birds, sometimes destroy their eggs, and lay their own eggs in that nest. Then….they expect the original nest owner to incubate, hatch, feed, and rear the new baby cowbirds! How is that in any way OK? I don’t know. But, I tend to believe that nature’s rules are not like those of human society and not subject to political debate, Twitter feeds, memes, or filibusters. Cowbirds live and compete in the realm of survival and natural selection without a greater edge than crows, eagles, chickadees or any other living thing except maybe humans. Be careful about calling them bad birds. Or, at least, judge thyself.