# Yellow-billed Cuckoo (*Coccyzus americanus*) The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a beautiful bird known for its bright yellow bill and soft, cooing sounds. It loves to hide in trees and is often seen flitting about in search of tasty insects. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 19 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Yellow-billed Cuckoo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Yellow-billed_cuckoo_%2842690%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow-billed_cuckoo_%2842690%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Yellow-billed Cuckoo has a slender, elegant body with a long tail. It features a bright yellow lower mandible, dark brown upperparts, and clean white underparts. Distinctive rufous patches flash on its wings during flight, and its long tail shows bold white spots from below. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Cuculiformes - **Family:** Cuculidae - **Genus:** Coccyzus ## Interesting facts - During outbreaks of cicadas or caterpillars, cuckoos can gorge themselves, eating hundreds in a single day! - If food is scarce, a female cuckoo will lay fewer eggs, making sure each chick has enough to eat! - Their unusual call is often heard just before a summer rain, earning them the nickname "Rain Crow"! - These birds are incredible long-distance flyers, migrating thousands of miles from North America to South America! ## Special abilities - **Caterpillar Chomper:** Yellow-billed Cuckoos can eat many hairy caterpillars because they shed their stomach lining to remove irritating spines. - **Stealthy Hunter:** Yellow-billed Cuckoos have soft feathers that allow them to fly almost silently, helping them ambush insect prey. - **Rapid Nesting:** Yellow-billed Cuckoos can raise their young from egg to flight in a remarkably short 17 days, especially when food is abundant. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 28-32 cm - **Wingspan:** 40-48 cm - **Weight:** 0.05-0.07 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-7 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 9-11 days - **Migration Distance:** 6000 km ## Diet & Feeding These birds are insect-eating champions, especially loving caterpillars! - **Primary Foods:** Caterpillars, Cicadas, Grasshoppers, Beetles, Moths - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Eastern Tent Caterpillar (*Malacosoma americanum*) — devours large numbers of these fuzzy pests. - **Hunts:** Periodical Cicada (*Magicicada septendecim*) — gorges during their infrequent, noisy outbreaks. - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — a swift avian predator that may catch cuckoos. - **Parasitizes:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — sometimes lays eggs in their nests for others to raise. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance, and be quiet so you don't scare them away! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Yellow-billed Cuckoo? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Yellow-billed Cuckoo? 28-32 cm ### What is Yellow-billed Cuckoo's wingspan? 40-48 cm ### How much does Yellow-billed Cuckoo weigh? 0.05-0.07 kg ### How long does Yellow-billed Cuckoo live? 3-7 years ### How fast can Yellow-billed Cuckoo move? 60 km/h ### What does Yellow-billed Cuckoo eat? These birds are insect-eating champions, especially loving caterpillars! ### Where is Yellow-billed Cuckoo usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Centennial Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/centennial-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chihuahuan-desert-nature-center-and-botanical-gardens) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden - [Grist Mill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grist-mill-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Harkness Memorial State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harkness-memorial-state-park) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden - [Hempstead Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hempstead-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/joseph-e-ibberson-conservation-area) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park [View all places to see Yellow-billed Cuckoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-billed-cuckoo) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Yellow-billed Cuckoo: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-billed-cuckoo)