Scientific Name: Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Nest Type: Platform
Nest Location: Deciduous trees and shrubs; 2-6'
Clutch Size: 2-5; avg. 2-3
Food: Insects
Foraging Guild: Foliage gleaner
The Black-billed Cuckoo is a summer resident throughout the forested regions of Minnesota, becoming relatively common in the northern portions in association
with outbreaks of tent caterpillars (Roberts 1932, Janssen 1987). The overall breeding distribution of the species is primarily woodlands, especially along streams
and waterways from southeastern Alberta, across the southern borders of Canada to Newfoundland, south to northern Alabama and Georgia, and west to northern
Texas (National Geographic Society 1983). The species overwinters in South America (Bent 1940). The Black-billed Cuckoo arrives in Minnesota in early May,
and spring migration lasts through early June, with the bulk of migration during the latter part of May. The species leaves the state generally in August, with fall
migration occurring through early October (Janssen 1987).
The Black-billed Cuckoo occurs in a wide variety of forested habitats, especially those associated with water edges including willow and alder; however, it also
occurs in brushy pastures, along hedgerows and open woodlands, and along wooded roadside areas (Bent 1940, DeGraaf et al. 1991). The species generally nests
in a shrub or low tree in well-concealed vegetation, typically 4-6 ft above ground (DeGraaf et al. 1991) and will occasionally lay its eggs in nests of other birds.
Clutch size is generally 2-4 eggs, with the average being 3. In Minnesota, the Black-billed Cuckoo primarily feeds on caterpillars, especially tent caterpillars
(Spencer 1943). However, the species will also eat a variety of other insects, spiders, mollusks, and wild fruits or berries.
In Minnesota, the Black-billed Cuckoo is most abundant in northeast and north central, although the population is highly variable due to its close association with
tent caterpillar outbreaks. In general, the species has shown a highly significant decrease in population from the period 1978 to 1988 (Sauer and Droege 1992) in
the United States based on 944 Breeding Bird Survey roadside counts. No significant trend has been noted in Minnesota over the period from 1966 to 1989
(Janssen 1990). Factors associated with the decline on a nationwide basis are unknown.