Bridgeport Evening Farmer in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Remarkable White-Crested Cowbird Shot in Mexico

An ornithologist in Mexico reportedly captured a cowbird with a snow white crest, an extraordinary specimen for his cabinet. After a difficult hunt he shot the bird, which he later discovered had a white cloth piece sewn into its scalp as a mock crest, possibly an old native modification. The bird healed from the wound and appeared healthy, prompting speculation about the practice and its origins.