During the snow storm a mixed flock of grackles, cowbirds, and
Red-winged Blackbirds swarmed up and down from one of my ground feeding
sites.  When they were up, perched on limbs of a deciduous tree, I noticed a
female Red-winged Blackbird preening the back of the head of a male Cowbird.
Looking around on the tree it was easy to find two more such preening
activities going on, and several other places where there was close perching
by a male Cowbird and a female Red-wing.   At one point I noticed a male
Cowbird approaching (hopping along the branch toward) a female Red-wing, and
displaying the back of his head as if asking if she would do a bit of
preening on him.  (This one refused to have anything to do with such a silly
behavior.)  In each case the preening was gentle.  I suspect it was being
done on the initiative of the Cowbirds.  I suspect the Cowbird was actually
trying to get the Red-wing to remove a few mites that were at a place on its
body that it could not reach by itself.

 

          Anyhow, I would be interested in hearing if others have seen such
behaviors, and also, if anyone has a better explanation for the behavior,
please let me know.

 

LES ROSLUND

TALBOT COUNTY

EASTON, MD