Yellow-billed Cuckoo (YBCU)
Coccyzus americanus
Range
The range of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo extends from the eastern to mid United States during its breeding season. This bird does not go much farther north than Vermont and can be seen all through the East Coast, from New York to Florida.
Additional Maps
Identification
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo can be identified by its namesake, a yellow bill on adults. Besides the yellow bill, this bird has white underparts and a pale brown upper and wings, which extend up the crown and eye area. This bird does not exhibit much sexual dimorphism, besides the females being slightly larger than the males. The juveniles are buffier than the adults, with a less pronounced yellow in their bill and a more muted color pattern. The song of this cuckoo is a short call, around one second, consisting of one note that resembles a coo sound and gets deeper as the call progresses.
Habitat
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo can be found in woodland areas consisting of low dense vegetation and plenty of open-air clearings. Some of the places that they have been known to frequent include abandoned farmland as well as overgrown orchards and successional shrubland. Small trees and saplings between one to seven meters provide these birds with perches and nesting areas.
During Yellow-billed Cuckoo migration, they can inhabit the edge of forests, second-growth, and hedgerows. The species prefers if these areas are near freshwater and up to 2,500 meters above sea level.
Conservation Status
- Listed as Decreasing by American Bird Conservancy
- Listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International
- Listed as Vulnerable by Colorado State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg 22)
- Listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Listed as Secure by Nature Serve Explorer
- Listed as Vulnerable by New Mexico State Species of Greatest Conservation Need
- Listed on the Partners in Flights Landbird Conservation Plan
- Listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015 Rhode Island Wildlife Action Plan (pg 206)
- Listed as a Pilot Recovery Species by Road to Recovery
- Listed as Vulnerable by Texas State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg 37)
- Listed as Threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Threats to Conservation
The main threats to Yellow-billed Cuckoo populations are loss of habitat, collisions with man-made objects, and pesticide poisoning. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is susceptible to habitat loss due to logging from forested areas and land change use. This can lead to populations suffering from habitat fragmentation. The introduction of dams and other water controls as well as the diversion of natural rivers are also harming the habitats of these cuckoos by removing or relocating a water source away from their preferred habitat.
Other threats to the Yellow-billed Cuckoo population are pesticide use and the introduction of man-made objects in the natural habitat of the Yellow-billed cuckoo. These birds often reside in fruit orchards, which introduce agricultural pesticides into the habitat of these birds. There have been observations of loss of balance, egg thinning, and increased pesticide concentrations in these birds. These birds have also been observed to collide with man-made objects such as radio towers, tall buildings, and airport structures during migrations at night, posing a risk to the migrating population of cuckoos.
Funding Opportunities
- America the Beautiful Challenge
- Audubon Small Farm Grants Program
- Community Forest Program
- ConocoPhillips Partnership for Public and Private Land Managers
- Conservation Nation Grant Program
- Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program
- Conservation Reserve Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- Fish and Wildlife Grants List for California
- Hewlett Foundation- Western Conservation Grants
- Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program
- Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program
- Massachusetts Forest Alliance Bird Habitat Assessment and Management Plans
- MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program
- Natural Areas Research Grant
- Natural Legacy Program
- Nature Works
- Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant
- NFWF- America Restoration Grant
- NFWF Northeast Forest and Rivers Fund 2023
- Pacific Birds U.S. Partnership
- Partners for Fish and Wildlife
- Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
- Point Blue California Restoration Grant
- Sonoran Joint Venture Awards Program
- The Last Green Valley Woodland Funding Opportunity
- The Lawrence Foundation- Environmental Grants
- The Migratory Bird Program
- Tribal Wildlife Grants
- Western Habitat Grant Proposals
- Wildlife Conservation Grants for Species Conservation
- Wildlife Diversity Grant Program
- Wildlife Habitat Grant Program
- Wisconsin Forest Landowner Grant Program
- Woody Habitat Program (SD)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund
General Management Guides
Regional Management Guides
- Maine Woodland Owners: How to Practice Bird-Friendly Woodland Management
- NYC Bird Alliance: Habitat Protection
- NYSDEC: Habitat Management Plan for Point Peninsula Wildlife Management Area
- Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative: Woodland Bird Management Guide
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department: Wildlife Habitat Management for Lands in Vermont