Cuckoos

Black-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Family Cuculidae (Cuckoos)

Size: 12"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Woodlands and brushy areas, often near streams

Usually heard before being seen, the black-billed cuckoo is a secretive, slow-moving bird. Its body is slim, with a curved, dark-gray bill and a long, graduated tail with small white tips. The upperparts and wings are brown; underparts are white. The head has a brown cap that fades to white on the lower face and throat. Orbital rings are reddish on adults, greenish in juveniles. Black-billed cuckoos skulk through dense foliage searching for caterpillars, insects, and fruit. Their song is a resonating but monotone phrase of coo-coo-coo, often at night. The adult is illustrated.