Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) is a common cuckoo found in 55 countries, weighing about 64 g. The yellow-billed cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo family.
About the Yellow-billed Cuckoo
The yellow-billed cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo family. Common folk names for this bird in the southern United States are rain crow and storm crow. These likely refer to the bird's habit of calling on hot days, often presaging rain showers or thunderstorms. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek kokkuzo, which means to call like a common cuckoo, and americanus means "of America".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adults have a long tail, brown above and black-and-white below, and a black curved bill with yellow especially on the lower mandible. The head and upper parts are brown and the underparts are white. There is a yellow ring around the eye. It shows cinnamon on the wings in flight. Juveniles are similar, but the black on the undertail is replaced by gray. The adults show no sexual dimorphism, and thus the males and females can't be told apart by plumage. Measurements: Length: 10.2-11.8 in (26–30 cm) Weight: 1.9-2.3 oz (55–65 g) Wingspan: 15.0-16.9 in (38–43 cm)
What the Yellow-billed Cuckoo sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, October, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Yellow-billed Cuckoo?
- Adults have a long tail, brown above and black-and-white below, and a black curved bill with yellow especially on the lower mandible. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Yellow-billed Cuckoo?
- The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a medium sized bird weighing about 64 g.
- Where can you see a Yellow-billed Cuckoo?
- The Yellow-billed Cuckoo occurs in 55 countries, including the United States, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Panama.
- What does a Yellow-billed Cuckoo sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Yellow-billed Cuckoo?
- The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is most easily confused with the Black-billed Cuckoo, the Mangrove Cuckoo and the Dark-billed Cuckoo.
- Is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo endangered?
- The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Yellow-billed Cuckoo for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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