Yesterday there was a cowbird at our deck feeder. When the cowbirds arrive, we know the robins are nesting. Those brood parasites come flying in to lay their eggs in robin nests, then they skedaddle, leaving the others to hatch their eggs. Cowbirds often lay a dozen in various nests (including other species besides robins) during the season. The cowbird chicks are bigger and more voracious than their foster siblings. Eventually they push them out. The frantic foster parents work to raise that last ugly baby.
Many birders find the cowbirds nasty. Some make a point of destroying their eggs when they run across them. Me, I don't much mind. This is a system that works well for that species. It certainly has done the robins no harm. These days, humans have surrogate parents, so why criticize cowbirds?
There is a morality that humans try to attach to critters. Once I was training our Australian shepherd by rewarding him for good behavior with treats. My mother pointed out that he was getting rewarded for good behavior and that instead, he should be punished when he was bad.
"He's not a Lutheran," I told her. "He's not going to Heaven, according to the church so why not reward him on earth." My training system worked.
The cowbirds aren't Christian either. I leave them alone.
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