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Elaine (etfitz) | all galleries >> Photo Every So Often - P.E.S.O >> Summer 2006 > Cardinal Feeding Baby
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12-JUN-2006 E. Fitzgerald

Cardinal Feeding Baby

This male Cardinal was feeding this baby. This sure doesn't look like a baby cardinal. The other baby that I couldn't manage to capture was a female cardinal.

Here is what I found out about Cowbirds. Upon choosing a nest, she removes one egg of the host's clutch, and deposits one of her own in its place. Cowbirds lay eggs in the nests of more than 200 other species, most smaller than themselves. Some host species eject the unwanted egg, others lay down a new nest lining over it, but most rear the young cowbird as one of their own. The young cowbird grows quickly at the expense of the young of the host, pushing them out of the nest or taking most of the food.

Nikon D70s
1/30s f/5.3 at 220.0mm full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Buz Kiefer13-Jun-2006 21:22
Sounds like a government program in a socialist country. :^)
Neal Nye13-Jun-2006 12:07
Foster parenting is such a demanding task. What an interesting situation you captured!
Guest 13-Jun-2006 10:23
Glad to see that men can do it as well!
Karen Stuebing13-Jun-2006 09:49
It is pretty big for a baby. I guess it's ready to go out on its own soon. Great nature capture.
laine8213-Jun-2006 03:25
The motherly instinct has taken over.
Gayle P. Clement13-Jun-2006 02:04
That cardinal is going to spend a lot of time feeding that big cowbird. Fun that you caught this. I've always read about it and have never seen it!
Coleen Perilloux Landry13-Jun-2006 01:56
The poor cardinal got duped. Those black birds lay their eggs in other birds' nests and so it thinks it's his baby bird.