A Brown-headed Cowbird has never had to take out a nest loan. June 13, 2020 Gail Batt A Brown-headed Cowbird has never had to take out a nest loan. A Common Grackle feeling pretty good about himself. I listened to a House Finch sing today. It was an uplifting moment. When it’s not sampling suet, the Brown Thrasher sings a series of doubled phrases that would seem endless if they were not an Ode to Joy to me.