Cuckoos - Cuculidés

The cuckoo family of birds has about 130 species. Two species occur in Canada, the black-billed cuckoo, breeding from central Alberta to the Maritimes, and the yellow-billed cuckoo, primarily in southeastern Ontario and adjacent Québec.

Cuckoos are long and slim with long tails, longish wings, usually slightly down curved bills and short legs. Canadian species are similar in appearance: plain brown above, white below.

Did you know ???

Both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos are sometimes called “rain crows” because, according to folklore, they tend to call just before rain starts to fall.