Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) is in the Cuckoos family (Cuculidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 14,248 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in May.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: summer visitor / breeder. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Yellow-billed Cuckoo: observations by month (U.S.)

About Yellow-billed Cuckoo

The yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) is a cuckoo. Common folk-names for this bird in the southern United States are rain crow and storm crow. These likely refer to the bird's habit of calling on hot days, often presaging rain or thunderstorms.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Cuckoos)

Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianus

Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ