Unable to build nests or care for their young, a female cowbird lays u

This question popped up on our Ask Me Anything About SC thread. Reposting our answer here, just in case it helps anybody.

Check out this post and this follow-up post for explanations of why (B) and (C) can be eliminated.


In choice (A), the singular subject ("a female cowbird") doesn't match with the plural pronoun ("their") in the opening modifier, so we can eliminate this one right away.


The problem with (E) is that the opening modifier seems to modify "up to 40 eggs a year" -- this suggests that "up to 40 eggs a year" are somehow "unable to build nests or care for their young," and of course that doesn't make any sense, unless these eggs are already breeding.

That's probably enough reason to go with (D) over (E), but another small vote against (E) is the placement of the prepositional phrase "in the nests of other birds": in (D), "in the nests of other birds" is clearly meant to tell us WHERE the female cowbirds lay the eggs. But in (E), "in the nests of other birds" seems to modify "female cowbirds" -- so do these female cowbirds LIVE in the nests of other birds? Are the female cowbirds actually laying up to 40 eggs a year in those nests or somewhere else? The meaning is less clear here.

That leaves (D) as the winner.

I hope that helps!