About the Black-billed Cuckoo
The black-billed cuckoo is a New World species in the Cuculidae (cuckoo) family. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, kokkuzo, means to call like a common cuckoo, and erythropthalmus is from eruthros, "red" and ophthalmos, "eye".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Adults have a long, graduated brown tail and a black, slightly downcurved bill. The head and upper parts are brown and the underparts are white. The feet are zygodactylous. Juveniles are drabber and may contain some rufous coloration on the wing. The adults have a narrow, red orbital ring while the juveniles' is yellow. Black-billed cuckoo chicks have white, sparsely distributed, sheath-like down that contrasts heavily with their black skin. Voice: When they are a couple of days old, the chicks can make a buzzing sound that resembles an insect and a few days later, they can make a low barking call when disturbed. The call of this species is 2–5 sets of "coo" notes that are high-pitched, rapid, and repetitive. There is a slight pause between each set. The phonetics are often written "coo-coo-coo-coo, coo-coo-coo-coo, coo-coo-coo-coo, ...".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Black-billed Cuckoo sounds like
Where the Black-billed Cuckoo lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Portugal, Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay, Germany.
When to see the Black-billed Cuckoo
Peak activity in May · a summer visitor species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Mangrove CuckooCoccyzus minorAdults have a long tail, brown above and black-and-white below, and a black curved bill with yellow on the lower mandible.
Dark-billed CuckooCoccyzus melacoryphusThe dark-billed cuckoo is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11.0 in) long, about half of which is the tail.
Grey-capped CuckooCoccyzus lansbergiThe grey-capped cuckoo is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11 in) long, about half of which is the tail.
Side by side: Black-billed Cuckoo vs Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Black-billed Cuckoo vs Guira Cuckoo
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