Species · GBIF taxon 2496286
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmusAlso known as Raincrow, Rain Crow
Black-billed cuckoos are stealthy, slender forest birds famous for their voracious appetite for spiny and hairy caterpillars, which most other birds avoid. They slip silently through dense deciduous undergrowth, remaining motionless for long periods before striking their prey. Unlike their European relatives, these birds usually build their own nests, though they occasionally lay eggs in the nests of other birds when food is exceptionally abundant.
MigratoryInsectivorousCryptic
Licensed referenceWolfgang Wander (colors adjusted by Skiessi) / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
- diet
- Mainly caterpillars, especially hairy species like tent caterpillars, as well as beetles, cicadas, and wild berries
- family
- Cuculidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, pesticide application reducing food sources, and collisions with windows during migration
- life Span
- Typically 4 to 5 years in the wild
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Listen for calls: Listen for a fast, rhythmic cu-cu-cu-cu song, often repeated in groups of three or four notes.
- Scan dense cover: Look closely inside thickets and shrubby forest edges where they sit motionless while hunting.
- Watch caterpillar outbreaks: Search areas experiencing tent caterpillar infestations, which draw these birds in large numbers.