yellowbilled cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION:

• Length: 11 inches

• Sexes similar

• Slender, long-tailed bird

• Yellow orbital ring

• Cinnamon inner webs to primaries, often visible at rest

• Brown head, nape, back, and upperwings

• White chin, breast, and belly

• Brown uppertail has black outer tail feathers with white tips

Adult:

• Black bill with yellow basal half of lower mandible

• Tail feathers with extensive pale tips below

Juvenile:

• Tail feathers have significantly smaller pale tips below

• Occasionally with entirely black bill

Similar species:

Adult black-billed cuckoo has red orbital ring, black bill, smaller tail
spots, and lacks cinnamon primaries. Juvenile black-billed cuckoo can
be similar to juvenile Yellow-billed cuckoo but never shares the cinna-

mon primaries of the yellow-billed. Mangrove cuckoo has black mask,

buff breast, larger white tail spots below and lacks cinnamon primaries.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status: Neotropical migrant
Breeding Habitat: Woodland
Nest Location: Ground-low nesting
Nest Type: Open-cup
Clutch Size: 3-4
Length of Incubation: 9-11 days
Days to Fledge: 7-8
Number of Broods: 1, 2 in south?
Diet: Exclusively insects

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May U
      Su - Summer: June, July, August C
      Fall: September, October, November U

      Winter: December, January, February

 

 

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