LC
Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2018 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency low
Land-mass type Average mass 40 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 24,300,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor estimated 2009
Population trend increasing - suspected -
Generation length 4.6 years - - -

Trend justification: The population of this species is estimated to be increasing owing to expansion of its range into the Caribbean, Central America and the United States (Jaramillo. A. Burke. P. 1999).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Anguilla (to UK) extant native
Antigua and Barbuda extant native
Argentina extant native
Aruba (to Netherlands) extant vagrant
Bahamas extant vagrant
Barbados extant native
Bolivia extant native
Brazil extant native
Canada extant native
Cayman Islands (to UK) extant vagrant
Chile extant native
Colombia extant native
Costa Rica extant native
Cuba extant native
Dominica extant native
Dominican Republic extant native
Ecuador extant native
French Guiana extant native
Grenada extant native
Guadeloupe (to France) extant native
Guyana extant native
Haiti extant native
Jamaica extant introduced
Martinique (to France) extant native
Mexico extant vagrant
Montserrat (to UK) extant native
Panama extant native
Paraguay extant native
Peru extant native
Puerto Rico (to USA) extant native
St Kitts and Nevis extant native
St Lucia extant native
St Vincent and the Grenadines extant native
Suriname extant native
Trinidad and Tobago extant native
Uruguay extant native yes
USA extant native yes
Venezuela extant native
Virgin Islands (to UK) extant native yes
Virgin Islands (to USA) extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land major breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land major non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland major breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland major non-breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland suitable breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland suitable non-breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Moist suitable breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Moist suitable non-breeding
Altitude 0 - 700 m Occasional altitudinal limits (max) 2900 m

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/shiny-cowbird-molothrus-bonariensis on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.