- Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Identification
30 cm (11¾ in)
- Brown head, upperparts, wings and long tail
- Creamy white underparts
- Red eye ring
- Black bill
Juveniles are drabber with a greenish eye-ring
Distribution
Breeds eastern North America (east of the Rocky Mountains; winters to Bolivia
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Edges of wooded areas, pastures and marshland.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes spiny caterpillars, insects, some snails, eggs of other birds and berries.
Breeding
It is known occasionally to lay eggs in the nest of other bird species. The young leave the nest 17 days after eggs are laid. Only one brood is raised per year.
Vocalisation
The call is a rapid repetitive Coocoocoo.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- BF Member observations
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-billed Cuckoo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-billed_Cuckoo
