The cuckoo family, Cuculidae, includes over 140 species of birds found worldwide. Cuckoos are well-known for their unique breeding habits, where some species lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species to be raised by those foster parents. The cuckoo family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica.
Cuckoos in the Americas
There are several cuckoo species found natively in the Americas. The most widespread and familiar American cuckoo is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). This species breeds in North America and winters in South America. Other American cuckoo species include:
- Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor) – found in coastal mangrove forests from Florida to South America
- Pheasant Cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus) – found in Central and South America
- Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo (Coccyzus vieilloti) – native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
- Bay-breasted Cuckoo (Hyetornis rufigularis) – found in South America
Of these, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is considered the classic American member of the cuckoo family. Let’s take a closer look at this widespread species.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) is a medium-sized bird measuring about 12 inches (30 cm) long and weighing around 2 ounces (60 grams). Some key identification features include:
- Slender body shape
- Long tail with bold white spots on the undertail coverts
- Bill is mostly yellow (juveniles have some black on the upper mandible)
- Red eyering
- Brownish-gray plumage above, white below
Yellow-billed Cuckoos breed in deciduous forests and woodlands over much of North America. They migrate to South America for the winter. Their diet consists mainly of insects like caterpillars and cicadas. An interesting fact about the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is that they sometimes eat tent caterpillars and can consume 100 or more of the hairy insects in one sitting!
Range and Habitat
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo has an extensive breeding range that covers much of the United States (except for the far northwestern states) and continues up into the southern Canadian provinces. Their wintering range stretches from Mexico through Central America into South America, primarily east of the Andes Mountains.
This species frequents deciduous woodlands, particularly those with dense undergrowth. They are often found along riparian corridors. Typical habitat includes floodplain forests, wooded wetlands, second growth forests, and shrubby abandoned farmland. Trees like willow, alder, cottonwood and ash are favored in these habitats.
Migration
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a long-distance migrant, traveling between its North American breeding grounds and South American wintering range each year. They generally arrive on the breeding grounds in May and June, with peak migration in late May. Fall migration begins in late August, with most birds departing the breeding grounds by late September and October.
Yellow-billed Cuckoos are solitary migrants that travel at night. They migrate relatively early in the fall compared to many other landbird species. It is thought their extensive and rapid molt may help fuel the long southbound migration.
Diet
The diet of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo consists predominantly of insects and other arthropods. Major food items include:
- Caterpillars
- Moths
- Beetles
- Cicadas
- Grasshoppers
- Spiders
Caterpillars form the bulk of the diet during the breeding season, with tent caterpillars, fall webworms and gypsy moth larvae being especially important. The cuckoos often prey on hairy or distasteful caterpillars that other birds avoid.
Yellow-billed Cuckoos forage primarily by gleaning through dense foliage. They sometimes make short flights to snatch prey from branches or vegetation. This species is sometimes seen dropping to the ground to capture prey like beetles and grasshoppers.
Breeding
Yellow-billed Cuckoos arrive on their breeding grounds already paired up for the season. They build flimsy nests out of twigs, stems and leaves, placed on the horizontal branches of deciduous trees. The female lays 2-5 light blue eggs that she incubates for about 11 days. Hatchlings are fed by both parents and fledge from the nest at 7-9 days old.
An interesting aspect of cuckoo breeding biology is that females sometimes lay eggs in the nests of other birds to be raised by those hosts. However, Yellow-billed Cuckoos almost always raise their own young.
Conservation Status
Yellow-billed Cuckoo populations declined substantially over the last 50 years, primarily due to loss of riparian habitat. Conversion of forests to agriculture and urbanization has greatly reduced cuckoo breeding habitat. Excessive livestock grazing also degrades the dense understory this species prefers.
Due to population declines and ongoing threats, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the western United States. Conservation efforts are aimed at protecting and restoring riparian corridors and woodlands to support cuckoo populations.
Other American Cuckoos
While the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is the most widespread and familiar American cuckoo, there are several other members of the cuckoo family that occur in the Americas as well. Here is a bit about some of the other American cuckoo species.
Mangrove Cuckoo
- Scientific Name: Coccyzus minor
- Range: Coastal mangrove forests from Florida to South America
- Identifying Features: Gray-brown upperparts, white underparts, yellow belly, red eyering
- Habitat: Mangrove swamps
- Diet: Insects, snails, crabs
Pheasant Cuckoo
- Scientific Name: Dromococcyx phasianellus
- Range: Mexico through Central and South America
- Identifying Features: Long pheasant-like tail, finely barred underparts
- Habitat: Tropical lowland forests
- Diet: Insects, fruit
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo
- Scientific Name: Coccyzus vieilloti
- Range: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands
- Identifying Features: Gray-brown upperparts, reddish primaries, white throat, yellow belly
- Habitat: Forests, woodlands, mangroves
- Diet: Insects, lizards, frogs
Bay-breasted Cuckoo
- Scientific Name: Hyetornis rufigularis
- Range: Northern South America
- Identifying Features: Cinnamon-rufous breast, black face, blue-green iridescent back
- Habitat: Lowland forests
- Diet: Insects and other arthropods
Conclusion
In summary, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is considered the classic American member of the cuckoo family. This slender, long-tailed bird breeds over much of North America and migrates to winter in South America. It frequents dense, shrubby woodlands and riparian thickets. Yellow-billed Cuckoos are specialized insect eaters, preying on caterpillars, cicadas, and other harmful arthropods. While other cuckoo species occur in the Americas as well, the Yellow-billed is the most familiar, widespread and representative American cuckoo.