How did the cowbird get its name?

The cowbird got its name because of its habit of following the huge herds of buffalo that once roamed the plains of North America, feeding on the many insects that were disturbed by the buffaloes’ hoofs.

It was also known as the buffalo bird. Now that the herds of buffalo are no more, the cowbirds fly in great flocks, descending on fields of ripening corn or rice and completely stripping acres of land, making them very unpopular with farmers. Cowbirds do not build a nest, but the female lays her single egg in the nest of another bird, hoping that the egg will be incubated (and the chick reared) by the unwitting foster-mother.