NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Screaming Cowbird
Molothrus rufoaxillaris Cassin, 1866
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.
Open encyclopedia reference
The screaming cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) is an obligate brood parasite belonging to the family Icteridae and is found in South America. It is also known commonly as the short billed cowbird.
Wikipedia contributors, Screaming cowbird; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:36:17.784655+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Molothrus rufoaxillaris Cassin, 1866
- Name authority
- Cassin, 1866
- Common name
- Screaming 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 rufoaxillaris Cassin, 1866
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 |
| Giant CowbirdMolothrus oryzivorus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | IcteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
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.
- Cassin, & John. (1866). A Study of the Icteridae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Vol. 18. 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. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
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:43YJM. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.