Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus americanus

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is probably heard more than seen, as their loud croaking calls emanating from dense forest can often be heard for long distances. They are locally known as the "rain crow" in parts of the U.S., as it is said their loud calls are predictions of rain.  Yellow-billed Cuckoos are sometimes practice nest parasitism, but only will only do so in the nests of Black-billed Cuckoos. 

Habitat: Primarily breeds in dense deciduous forests.  

Diet: Yellow-billed Cuckoo populations often depend heavily on caterpillars.  They also will feed on beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, bird eggs, small lizards, frogs, and fruits and berries.

Behavior: Primarily forages by climbing and flitting through the foliage, gleaning insects from leaves and branches as it goes.  They will also on occasion fly out from a perch to capture passing insects in mid-air.

Nesting: May through June

Breeding Map: Breeding Bird Survey map

Song: A monotonous clatter which slows down toward the end, kakakaka-kah-kah-kowp-kowp.  Click here to listen to Yellow-billed Cuckoo song.

Migration: Summers throughout the eastern half of the U.S., and locally in the southwest and western U.S.  A long-distance migrant, wintering in Central and South America.

Similar Species: Black-billed Cuckoo in South Dakota.  Most similar in appearance to the Mangrove Cuckoo, a species found in Florida.

Status: Numbers have shown a general decline in recent decades, particularly in the western part of its range (due to habitat loss).  There also tend to be fairly large annual changes in local populations as insect populations rise and fall.

Further Information: 1) Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Yellow-billed Cuckoo

2) Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Yellow-billed Cuckoo

3) eNature.com -- Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Photo Information: May 23rd, 2004 -- Near Pierre -- Doug Backlund

Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Yellow-billed Cuckoo photos.