Black-billed cuckoo
The black-billed cuckoo is a distinctive bird characterized by its long tail and a unique brown and white plumage. Adult cuckoos measure between 11 to 12 inches (28 to 31 centimeters) in length and have a wingspan of 13 to 16 inches (34 to 40 centimeters). Unlike many of its cuckoo relatives, which rely on other birds to raise their young, the black-billed cuckoo constructs its own nest and cares for its chicks. Typically found in woodland edges, groves, and thickets, this shy bird prefers to stay hidden under the cover of trees rather than in open spaces.
The female lays two to five blue-green eggs, which both parents incubate for about 10 to 11 days. After hatching, the chicks are naked and blind, requiring care from both parents until they can fly after three to four weeks. The black-billed cuckoo's diet consists mainly of insects such as worms and grasshoppers, and its call is often described as a series of sad-sounding notes. In some regions of the United States, the bird's cooing is thought to predict rain, leading to its nickname "rain crows." However, like many North American songbirds, the black-billed cuckoo faces population declines primarily due to habitat loss from urbanization.
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Black-billed cuckoo
The black-billed cuckoo is a long-tailed, brown and white bird with a distinct call. Unlike other members of its family, which leave their eggs to hatch in the nest of other birds, the black-billed cuckoo builds its own nest for its young.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Coccyzus
Species: Erythropthalmus
The full-grown adult black-billed cuckoo reaches a length of 11 to 12 inches (28 to 31 centimeters) and weighs 1 1/2 to 2 1/3 ounces (40 to 65 grams). The bird has a wingspan of 13 to 16 inches (34 to 40 centimeters). The upper body plumage of the black-billed cuckoo, as well as its wings and tail, is gray-brown with a slight green gloss. The underparts, cheeks, and throat are dull white. The feet of the black-billed cuckoo are designed for climbing and running. The species has two toes that point forward and two that point backward. This gives the bird incredible balance and swiftness on the ground and in the bush.
The black-billed cuckoo breeds on the edges of woodlands and in groves and thickets. It is a shy bird that prefers to remain beneath the shelter of trees and bushes than take to the open ground.
Most species of black-billed cuckoo place their eggs in the nests of other birds where the chicks are to be raised by the host parent. The black-billed cuckoo, however, builds its own nest and raises its young. On occasions when food is abundant, the black-billed cuckoo has been known to lay its eggs in the nest of another black-billed or yellow-billed cuckoo, but this does not happen often.
After a male and female black-billed cuckoo mate, the female lays two to five blue-green eggs. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs for 10 to 11 days. The young are born almost naked and are blind for two or three days. Both parents feed the young even after they have left the nest. After three to four weeks, the young can fly.
The black-billed cuckoo feeds on the ground and in the air. Its diet includes worms, beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars.
The voice of the black-billed cuckoo is described as a series of low, mournful, or sad-sounding, calls consisting of three, four, or five notes. Some farmers in the United States believe that the black-billed cuckoo's cooing call predicts rain. This earned the bird the nickname "rain crows."
Like many North American songbirds, the black-billed cuckoo population is in decline because of the urbanization of their natural habitat.
Bibliography
"Black-billed Cuckoo." All About Birds, Cornell University, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-billed‗Cuckoo/overview. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.
King, Whitney. "Coccyzus Erythropthalmus." Animal Diversity Web, Regents of the University of Michigan, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Coccyzus‗erythropthalmus. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.