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    Yellow-billed cuckoo

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    Its sound is one of the most iconic sounds of the American summer

    Doug Greenberg








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    Yellow-billed cuckoo

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE

    Its sound is one of the most iconic sounds of the American summer

    Population 9.6 Million
    7% decline over the past ten years

    A sleek, long-tailed phantom of the eastern forests, often called the “raincrow” by those who listen for its distinctive, rattling call before a summer storm. Its most defining features are its bicolored bill—black on top with a bright, sunny yellow lower half—and the bold, white “coin” spots that decorate the underside of its long, grayish-brown tail. Unlike the black-billed cuckoo, this species also sports a flash of warm cinnamon-orange on its primary wing feathers, a secret color that is only fully visible when it takes flight or stretches its wings in the dappled sunlight.

    This bird is a world-class athlete when it comes to pest control, specifically targeting the hairy caterpillars that most other birds won’t touch. It is famous for its “slash and burn” approach to tent caterpillar outbreaks, often eating as many as 100 caterpillars in a single sitting. Because these caterpillars are covered in irritating, bristly hairs, the cuckoo’s stomach eventually becomes lined with a “carpet” of bristles. To keep its digestive system functioning, the bird has evolved the incredible ability to periodically shed its entire stomach lining, coughing it up in a pellet to start fresh. This specialized diet makes the yellow-billed cuckoo a vital protector of forest health, as it can single-handedly stop an insect infestation from stripping an entire grove of trees bare.

    In the world of parenting, the yellow-billed cuckoo is a bit of a “flexible” strategist. While they usually build their own thin, flat nests of twigs and raise their own chicks, they are also known for “facultative brood parasitism.” If food is exceptionally abundant—like during a massive locust or caterpillar swarm—the female may produce more eggs than she can handle. In these boom times, she will sneak her extra eggs into the nests of other birds, including robins or even other cuckoos, effectively outsourcing the childcare so she can focus on eating more.

    Distribution

    Country
    Population est.
    Status
    Year
    Comments
    Anguilla
    2020
    Passage
    Antigua & Barbuda
    2020
    Passage
    Argentina
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Aruba
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Bahamas
    2020
    Passage
    Barbados
    2020
    Passage
    Belgium
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Belize
    2020
    Passage
    Bermuda
    2020
    Passage
    Bolivia
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Bonaire Sint Eustatius And Saba
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Brazil
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    British Virgin Is.
    2020
    Breeding
    Canada
    2020
    Breeding
    Cayman Islands
    2020
    Passage
    Colombia
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Costa Rica
    2020
    Passage
    Cuba
    2020
    Curaçao
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Denmark
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Dominica
    2020
    Passage
    Dominican Republic
    2020
    Breeding
    Ecuador
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    El Salvador
    2020
    Passage
    France
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    French Guiana
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Greenland
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Guadeloupe
    2020
    Passage
    Guatemala
    2020
    Passage
    Guyana
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Haiti
    2020
    Breeding
    Honduras
    2020
    Passage
    Ireland
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Italy
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Jamaica
    2020
    Breeding
    Martinique
    2020
    Passage
    Mexico
    2020
    Montserrat
    2020
    Passage
    Morocco
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Nicaragua
    2020
    Passage
    Norway
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Panama
    2020
    Passage
    Paraguay
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Peru
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Portugal
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Puerto Rico
    2020
    Saint Barthélemy
    2020
    Passage
    Saint Lucia
    2020
    Passage
    Saint Martin
    2020
    Passage: French Part
    Saint Pierre
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Saint Vincent
    2020
    Passage
    Sint Maarten
    2020
    Passage: Dutch Part
    St. Kitts & Nevis
    2020
    Suriname
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Trinidad & Tobago
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Turks & Caicos
    2020
    US Minor Is.
    2020
    Passage
    US Virgin Islands
    2020
    Breeding
    United Kingdom
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    United States
    2020
    Breeding
    Uruguay
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Venezuela
    2020
    Non-Breeding

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    Get to know me

    Terrestrial / Aquatic

    Altricial / Precocial

    Polygamous / Monogamous

    Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

    Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

    Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

    Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

    Migratory: Yes / No

    Domesticated: Yes / No

    Dangerous: Yes / No

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE
    Least Concern(IUCN)
    World Population 9.6 Million

    7% decline over the past ten years


    Honorary Patron: BioDB
    Become a Patron

    Threats

    Habitat destruction / Climate change / Freshwater pollution / Marine pollution / Deforestation / Farming / Fishing practices / Poaching & wildlife trade / Invasive species / Parasites & diseases / Noise pollution / Light pollution

    My ID

    Scientific name: Coccyzus americanus Other names:

    Rain crow
    Storm crow

    Physical traits

    Length: 26 – 30 cm (10 – 12 in) Weight: 55 – 65 g (2 – 2.3 oz) Lifespan: 4 – 6 years Wingspan: 38 – 43 cm (15 – 17 in) Incubation: 14 days Eggs: 3 – 4 eggs
    Habitats: Forest Shrubland Savannah/Grassland
    Regions: Africa Europe North America Oceania South America
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