Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) — Cuckoos & Turacos of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 64 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Cuculiformes
- Family Cuculidae Cuckoos
- Genus Coccyzus
- Species americanus
Where it lives
Southern Canada to northern Mexico and West Indies
Quick facts
- Weight
- 64 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) is a species of bird in the Cuculidae family, part of the order Cuculiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA s Canada to n Mexico and West Indies.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 64 g, with a wing length of about 14.3 cm and a tail of around 14.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo?
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 64 g.
Where does the Yellow-billed Cuckoo live?
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA s Canada to n Mexico and West Indies, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Yellow-billed Cuckoo belong to?
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.
What does the Yellow-billed Cuckoo eat?
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Yellow-billed Cuckoo migrate?
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Yellow-billed Cuckoo make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo's range?
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo has a mapped global range of about 5.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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