Shiny Cowbird ( Molothrus bonariensis )

18,5 cm. The body is gray, slightly blue with the inferior parts lighter. The tail and the tips of the wings are blue, somewhat green. There is a spot of this color in the shoulders. Male and female are similar.
Distribution:
Mideast Brazil from Maranhão to Rio Grande do Sul, also in Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Habitat:
Lives on trees, either in open areas, parks or cities.
Diet:
Feeds on fruits, leaves, buds, nectar including from eucalyptus trees. Also catches flying insects as butterflies and termites.
Reproduction:
During the breeding season the male exhibits its shoulders to the female. The nest is built by the couple and is a compact open basket made of small roots, moss and leaves petioles, with a diameter of about 11cm. It is hidden in dense vegetation. The eggs (2 to 3) are incubated by the female and possibly by the male. The coloration of the eggs varies a lot from buffy to greenish. The couple feeds the hatchlings bringing food with their beaks . The immature leaves the nest after 20 days.
Natural history:
It is the commonest species among the Brazilian tanagers. Sings throughout the year. Sometimes it is host of the parasitic cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis). In the winter it may join groups of other species forming great mixed groups. A behavior that may be useful for protection against predators.