Freeloaders of the avian world May 28, 2021

Freeloaders of the avian world

Ever felt like some folks are just born jerks? Birds can relate. Take for example the uninvited speckly-white visitor to this robin"s nest: That smaller egg belongs to a baby cowbird whose mother sneakily laid it among the blue robin eggs when no one was looking. Once the baby birds all hatch, the cowbird will grow much faster and larger than its robin "siblings," soon becoming an only chick by muscling them right out of the nest. And if mama robin ejects the cowbird egg before it hatches, the cowbird mom may take notice and chuck the remaining robin eggs from the nest out of spite.

© Edward Kinsman/Science Photo Library

palette

Today in History

May 28, 2018Honoring the fallen
May 28, 2019Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
May 28, 2020Old man s whiskers growing wild
May 28, 2022Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Australia
May 28, 2023Tegallalang terrace farms in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
May 28, 2025World Otter Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 23, 2020Across the great plains of Africa
Jan 31, 2019A bohemian feline
Aug 8, 2023Infinity Day
Oct 20, 2021Feeling lazy? Today s your day.
Nov 6, 2019Saffron in bloom
Mar 26, 2025Manatee Appreciation Day
Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sep 3, 2021Welcome to the Alien Egg Hatchery
Aug 21, 2022International Lighthouse Weekend
May 1, 2018The Sky Over Nine Columns in Venice, Italy
Dec 28, 2024Endangered Species Act
Feb 13, 2021Four little birds sitting in a tree…
Jun 14, 2021A Flag Day tradition
Sep 26, 2019Kelp buddies
Apr 4, 2022Norway s Kjeragbolten boulder
Mar 8, 2023International Womens Day
Feb 10, 2025National Umbrella Day
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Jun 28, 2023Pride Month
Jan 26, 2021It s Australia Day
Apr 7, 2018The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers
Dec 18, 2025Celebrating 54 years of Capitol Reef National Park
Dec 8, 2025Christmas lights in Domaso, Lake Como, Italy
Dec 25, 2023Merry Christmas!
Dec 6, 2019 America s Playground by Derrick Adams
Nov 30, 2024Saint Andrews Day
Jan 30, 2019Embracing the cold
Sep 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, US-Canada border
Nov 30, 2018In the Highlands for Saint Andrew s Day
Mar 24, 2025African bush elephants in Namibia