Perching Birds
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus
americanus
Description
10 1/2-12 1/2" (27-32 cm). Jay-sized.
A slender, long-tailed bird, brown above and white below, with large
white spots on underside of tail and a flash of rufous in wings.
Bill slightly curved, with yellow lower mandible. Black-billed
Cuckoo similar, but has very little rufous in wings and smaller
white spots on tail.
Voice
A rapid, harsh, rattling
ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowp, kowp, kowp, kowp, slowing down at
the end.
Habitat
Moist thickets, willows, overgrown
pastures, and orchards.
Nesting
2-4 pale blue-green eggs in a flimsy
saucer of twigs placed in a bush or small sapling.
Range
Breeds from central California, Minnesota,
and southern New Brunswick southward. Winters in South
America.
Discussion
This bird's tendency to utter its
distinctive call at the approach of a storm has earned it the name
"Rain Crow." Both the Yellow-billed and Black-billed cuckoos are
fond of hairy caterpillars, and during outbreaks of tent
caterpillars are valuable in helping to keep these creatures in
check. Usually shy and elusive, these birds are easy to
overlook.
Perching Birds