NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Giant Cowbird
Molothrus oryzivorus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Giant cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus oryzivorus), Reserva Las Tangaras, Chocó, Colombia
Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The giant cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus) is a large passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds from southern Mexico south to northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. It may have relatively recently colonised the latter island. It is a brood parasite and lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.
Wikipedia contributors, Giant cowbird; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:23:59.812404+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Molothrus oryzivorus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)
- Name authority
- (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)
- Common name
- Giant Cowbird
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
- Genus
- Molothrus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyIcteridae
- genusMolothrus Swainson, 1832
- speciesMolothrus oryzivorus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Molothrus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus (Wagler, 1829) | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Shiny CowbirdMolothrus bonariensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Screaming CowbirdMolothrus rufoaxillaris Cassin, 1866 | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Scaphidura oryzivora (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | synonym |
| Molothrus oryzivora (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | synonym |
| Oriolus oryzivorus J. F. Gmelin, 1788 J. F. Gmelin, 1788 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
South America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=729212 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:43YJK. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.