Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) portrait, breeding plumage, Moss Landing, California, USA, April

Dietmar Nill / Brandt's bat flying {Myotis brandtii} Germany

Gavin Hellier / Euro Tower, home of European Central Bank, and Euro Symbol, Willy Brandt Platz, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany 2010

Gavin Hellier / Euro Tower, home of European Central Bank, and Euro Symbol, Willy Brandt Platz, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany 2010

Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), chicks in nest, Moss Landing, California, USA, April

Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant, (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) on water, breeding plumage, Moss Landing, California, USA, April

Charlie Summers / Brandt's Whistling Rat (Parotomys brantsii) sitting an entrance to burrow, Kgalagadi TB Park of South Africa

Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage, Moss Landing, California

Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage, Moss Landing, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage displaying, Point Lobos State Reserve, Monterey Bay, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage displaying, Point Lobos State Reserve, Monterey Bay, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage displaying, Point Lobos State Reserve, Monterey Bay, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), Big Sur, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), Big Sur, California

Claudio Contreras / Brandt's cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) on rock, Espiritu Santo Island National Park, Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) Mexico, February

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) on branch, La Jolla, San Diego, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) group on cliff, La Jolla, San Diego, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, California

Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant {Phalacrocorax penicillatus} hungry chicks begging from parent, San Francisco, California, USA

Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant {Phalacrocorax penicillatus} with the city of San Francisco in background, Alcatraz Island, California, USA

Philippe Clement / Brant's whistling rat at entrance to burrow {Parotomys brantsii} Kalahari South Africa

Richard Du Toit / Brant's whistling rat carrying vegetation {Parotomys brantsii} Kgalagadi NP, South Africa

Andrew Parkinson / Brant's whistling rat on guard at burrow {Parotomys brantsii} Kgalagadi TP, South Africa

Andrew Parkinson / Brant's whistling rat on guard at burrow {Parotomys brantsii} Kgalagadi TP, South Africa

Dietmar Nill / Brandts bat {Myotis brandtii} Germany

Tim Fitzharris / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) nesting colony, Point Lobos State Reserve, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) incubating eggs on nest and panting from heat, South Farallon Islands, Farallon Islands, Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, California

Konstantin Mikhailov / Brand's Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)adults and juvenile birds, alongside juvenile Double-crested coromorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) and juvenile Pelargic cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicu...

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) sub-adult, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, California

Sandesh Kadur / Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) roosting on electric lines along Highway 77, Brownsville, Texas, USA. March

David Welling / Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) male perched on Cattail, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, USA, June

Patricio Robles Gil / Great tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) in water, Yucatan, Mexico

Rolf Nussbaumer / Great tailed grackle, male {Quiscalus mexicanus} Texas, USA

Loic Poidevin / Brown headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) Pointe Pelee, Ontario, Canada, May

George Sanker / Silhouette of Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) at water, USA

Rolf Nussbaumer / Bronzed cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) two males perched together on branch, Dinero, Lake Corpus Christi, South Texas, USA.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Bronzed cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) pair sitting on branch, Dinero, Lake Corpus Christi, South Texas, USA.

Gerrit Vyn / Rusty blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) male displaying, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA May

B&S Draker / Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), flock at sunset. Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA, February.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus). Laredo, Webb County, Texas, USA, April.

David Welling / Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) male visiting a garden pond to drink and bathe. Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA, April.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Giant Cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus) feeding on parasitic ticks from Capybaras (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris). The Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, October.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Giant Cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus) feeding on parasitic ticks from a Capybara (Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris). The Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, October.

David Welling / Bronzed Cowbird (Molotrhus aeneus) male bathing in smalll pond, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA, May

David Welling / Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) female in tree, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA, May

David Welling / Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) male sitting in reeds singing and displaying,Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, USA, June

Marie Read / Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) male perched on tufa formation, Mono Lake, California, USA

Gerrit Vyn / Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) female perched on fence. Southeast Alberta, Canada. May.

Gerrit Vyn / Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) male perched on fence. Southeast Alberta, Canada. May.

Jerry Monkman / The Oxbow and the Connecticut River seen from the Skinner Mountain House in Hadley, with a flock of Grackles filling the sky. Skinner State Park, Mount Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA, August 2007.

Doug Wechsler / Mixed flock of Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Texas, Floyd County, USA

Gerrit Vyn / Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) male perched, singing, in breeding plumage, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA, May.

Gerrit Vyn / Adult male Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) perched in tree, Tompkins County, New York, USA, May.

Marie Read / Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) male bathing, Viera, Florida, USA (Digitally retouched image - foreground distraction removed)

Roy Mangersnes / Bay-winged Cowbird (Molothrus / Agelaioides badius) perched, Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America. November.

David Kjaer / Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) male, Texas, USA

David Welling / Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) female singing on thorn bush, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA

David Welling / Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) male perched, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA

Rolf Nussbaumer / Brown-headed Cowbird {Molothrus ater} male bathing, Hill Country, Texas

Rolf Nussbaumer / Male Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA. June 2005

Rolf Nussbaumer / Male Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA, June 2005

Rolf Nussbaumer / Profile of male Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) New Braunfels, Texas, USA. April 2001

Rolf Nussbaumer / Female Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) on flowering Retama (Parkinsonia aculeata) Willacy County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA. May 2004

George McCarthy / Common grackle {Quiscalus quiscula} Everglades NP, Florida, USA

Tom Vezo / Male Brown headed cowbird {Molothrus ater} Long Island, NY, USA.

Tom Vezo / Male Brown headed cowbird singing {Molothrus ater} Long Island, NY USA

Tom Vezo / Brown headed cowbird female {Molothrus ater} Long Island, NY USA

Tom Vezo / Female Brown headed cowbird {Molothrus ater} Long Island, New York, USA

Larry Michael / Brown headed cowbird {Molothrus ater} rear view of male perching on barbed wire, Wisconsin, USA.

Larry Michael / Common Grackle {Quiscalus quiscula} perching on post, Wisconsin, USA.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Bronzed cowbird {Molothrus aeneus} female profile, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Brown headed cowbird {Molothrus ater} male bathing, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Male Bronzed cowbird {Molothrus aeneus} displaying, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Bronzed cowbird {Molothrus aeneus} male profile, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA, June 2005

Hanne Jens Eriksen / Tristram's grackles {Onychognathus tristramii} on Dromedary head. Oman

Doug Wechsler / Boat tailed grackle {Cassidix major} on mullien seed head New Jersey USA Forsythe NWR