Short Stuff: Brown-Headed Cowbird

About this episode

This episode discusses the brown-headed cowbird and its controversial reputation among bird lovers.

There’s a kind of bird that lots of people think is a real jerk. And it kind of is. But in the brown-headed cowbird’s defense, it’s just evolved that way. Find out why it has such a bad reputation among bird lovers in this Short Stuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Josh Clark, Chuck Bryant

Topics covered

• birds
• evolution
• animal behavior
• nature
• reputation

Keywords

• brown-headed cowbird
• bird behavior
• evolution
• nature
• animal reputation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: iHeartPodcasts

Books & works: Short Stuff: Brown-Headed Cowbird

Places: brown-headed cowbird

More episodes of Stuff You Should Know

• The NY Subway Vigilante · June 11, 2026 · 48 min
• Short Stuff: Rain Barrels! · June 10, 2026 · 13 min
• Smile · June 9, 2026 · 49 min
• Selects: 911 Is Not a Joke · June 6, 2026 · 54 min
• Three Mile Island · June 4, 2026 · 46 min
• Short Stuff: 1955 Le Mans Disaster · June 3, 2026 · 13 min