Bird Guide

Black-billed Cuckoo vs Mangrove Cuckoo

Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

Black-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Small51 gForest

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, ...".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Black-billed Cuckoo
Recorded by Jonathan Sowers · Nocturnal flight call · Skippack Township (near Collegeville), Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States · CC BY 4.0
Photo: Wildreturn · CC BY 2.0
Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor)

Mangrove Cuckoo

Coccyzus minor

Medium64 gWoodland

Adults have a long tail, brown above and black-and-white below, and a black curved bill with yellow on the lower mandible. The head and upper parts are brown. There is a yellow ring around the eye. This bird is best distinguished by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Although the scientific name is minor (meaning "small"), this species is on average the largest of North America's three Coccyzus cuckoos. Adults measure 28–34 cm (11–13 in) in length, weigh 64–102 g (2.3–3.6 oz) and span 38–43 cm (15–17 in) across the wings.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: http://www.birdphotos.com · CC BY 3.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-billed Cuckoo and Mangrove Cuckoo.