September Bird of the Month

Photo: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Kelly Colganazar

Bird of the Month: Fall Migration Brings Cuckoos to Virginia

By Jessica Biggers

When you hear “ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp” or a mellow “cu, cu, cu, cu” call in the distance it might be a sign of rain. Because of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo’s (Coccyzus americanus) and the Black-billed Cuckoo’s (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) weather forecasting abilities, they are commonly known as the “rain crow.” As a rain storm is blowing in, our little friends are giving us a heads up to run for cover. These elusive birds are rarely seen but heard, and their song and call can carry quite a distance. They are also long-distance migrants flying silently to their destination.

Sometimes Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos get a bad rap, being compared to their close cousin the Common Cuckoo from Eurasia. The Common Cuckoo is a brood parasite whose call is mimicked by a cuckoo clock’s chime. Although, Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos will occasionally lay their eggs in other birds’ nest, it is not a common occurrence. In most cases, if they do, they will lay their eggs in other cuckoo’s nests.

Even though both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos can lay up to two broods, they tend to only raise one and don’t lay their eggs all at once, but asynchronously. Youngsters, when threatened, will make a display similar to a bittern, where they stretch their necks, with their heads looking straight up into the sky; standing like a statue.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos (YBCU) and Black-billed Cuckoos (BBCU) migrate through Virginia in the spring. But Black-billed Cuckoos breed farther north from Virginia while Yellow-billed Cuckoos have a more expansive breeding territory. In seasons when there is an abundance of caterpillars and cicadas, you’ll tend to hear and see more of them. YBCU’s have a preference for tent caterpillars, gypsy moths and cicadas, while BBCU munch on caterpillars of the spiny variety, shedding their stomach lining to remove the spines and coughing those spines up into owl-like pellets.

While our eastern Yellow-billed Cuckoo’s population is stable, the western population is struggling due to habitat loss. They inhabit woodlands, thick brush, marshes and abandoned farmland. Black-billed Cuckoos live more in woodlands and thickets.

This year, I’ve seen a ton of spiny and tent caterpillars, more than in past years. Plus, we’ve had a lot of rain. So, there is a good chance we’ll hear more of these elusive birds during fall migration as they head down to Mexico and Central American for the winter.

Sources:

https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Brood_Parasitism.html

https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america/yellow-billed-cuckoo

August Bird of the Month

Photo: Red-shouldered Hawks, Linda Krueger

Bird of the Month: Who’s that Calling in the Air?

By Jessica Biggers

“Tier, Tier, Tier, Tier, Tier.” Have you heard this call? It’s the call of a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), but it could be a Blue Jay you’re hearing. Even if you have a discerning ear, the calls can be indistinguishable. Although I’ve found that a Red-shouldered Hawk call tends to be longer, a bit sharper, higher pitched and louder than its copycat. 

There’s definitely a healthy population of resident Red-shouldered Hawks in Northern Virginia. Reston Association (RA) volunteers tallied 38 of them in Reston alone during this spring’s 24-hour bird survey. 

They are also one of the Audubon at Home program’s Sanctuary Species. Red-shouldered Hawks in our area tend to live in deciduous forests with little understory, enabling them to see better while hunting. Although, you will also find them in residential areas on the edge of forests. There was even a nesting pair who strayed farther away from the woods to make their home in a maintenance shed at the RA Central Services Facility (CSF) in Reston last spring. Most red-shouldered pairs return to the same nest from year to year, but unfortunately our CSF occupants did not come back this spring. 

If you do find a nest, take a look on the ground for bird poop, which is a good sign that it’s active. Red-shouldereds have one brood per year with a clutch of between two and five babies. Five days after the brood hatches, the babies start throwing their poop over the nest. Another earlier sign that you can look for is a nest decorated with pine boughs. You can often find some pine boughs on the ground near the nest.

During the breeding season, males do an elaborate aerial mating dance. They begin calling while soaring, and then make some steep dives towards the female. They fly back up in a spiral pattern before diving back down again to mate. Most Red-shouldered Hawks pair for life and usually hunt together year round.

These hawks are pretty easy to identify compared to their fellow hawk neighbors, like the Cooper’s Hawk. Their markings are distinguishable from the others; with their reddish-peach barred underside and a sharply defined banded tail. However, you are more likely to see them in flight than hiding out in a tree. 

So, the next time you hear a “Tier, Tier, Tier, Tier,” listen very closely and see if you can guess who it is – your friendly red-shouldered neighbor or one of those sneaky Blue Jay mimics. Happy birding!

Sources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/overview