The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a secretive bird of dense deciduous thickets known for its guttural, bubbling 'ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowp' call — a traditional weather prognosticator among rural Americans who call it the 'rain crow.' Unlike its European cousin, it almost always raises its own young, though it occasionally lays eggs in other birds' nests. It can eat tent caterpillars that other birds avoid due to their irritating hairs.
Best time to see a Yellow-billed Cuckoo
The best time to see a Yellow-billed Cuckoo is April–July, when about 68% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 13,175 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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Recent Yellow-billed Cuckoo sightings near you
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