Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

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Abundance: Very Uncommon during spring and fall; Rare during summer; at least 34 records in 16 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 12 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are insufficient to generate a reliable trend in the small populations migrating through, or breeding in, the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan), but the apparent trend appears to be strongly negative.

Status: Transient during spring and fall; Summer Resident during at least some years, but probably Visitor during most summers, especially since 2000; photograph [ventral view of adult, possibly with nesting material or food for young] (Roseanna M. Denton; Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky; 16 May 2009).

Regional High Count and SBC/SBB High Count: 4 (12–13 May 1951; Overton County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob.; Note: a 2-day count; and 14 May 1994; Putnam County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 1 (25 September 2010; DeKalb County, Tennessee [FBB]; Carol D. Williams et al.).

Information on Records: 

15–23 June 1940 (3—including 1 on nest 19 June) Fall Creek Falls State Park, Van Buren County, Tennessee (Alfred F. Ganier et al.; Ganier and Clebsch 1940).

12–13 May 1951 (4) Overton County, Tennessee (TOS members), a Spring Bird Count record.

8–9 May 1954 (2) Overton County, Tennessee (TOS members; Anonymous 1954).

5–6 May 1962 (1) Cumberland County, Tennessee (TOS members; Anonymous 1962a).

23/24 April 1966 (2) Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unknown), a Spring Bird Count record.

7–8 May 1966 (2) Cumberland County, Tennessee (TOS members; Anonymous 1966a).

16 April 1967 (1) Barren County, Kentucky (Russell Starr et al. [KW 43:69]).

29 April 1971 (1) Clay County, Tennessee (Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1971b).

8 May 1971 (1) Byrdstown, Pickett County, Tennessee (Robbie C. Hassler; Parmer 1971c; Nicholson 1992a).

10 October 1973 (1) Cumberland County, Tennessee (Adele West; Williams 1973d).

Summers 1974 & 1975 ("uncommon") DeKalb County, Tennessee (Herbert E. Shadowen; Shadowen 1978).

6 May 1978 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observer unknown), a Spring Bird Count record.

1–4 June 1979 (1) Fentress County, Tennessee (Paul Pardue; Nicholson 1981).

19 June 1989 (1) near Glenmary, Scott County, Tennessee (Charles P. Nicholson; Knight 1989c).

21 April 1992 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 2006-2013).

2 May 1993 (1) Barren County, Kentucky (LM, CMS, VK, WK; Monroe and Stamm 1993a).

5 May 1994 (1) Lower King Cemetery, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, McCreary County, Kentucky (Stephen J. Stedman, Robert G. Emmott).

14 May 1994 (4) Putnam County, Tennessee (m. ob.), a Spring Bird Count record.

13 May 1995 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), a Spring Bird Count record.

27 June 1997 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.).

1 June 1998 (1 heard) Barnett River Access Point, Clear Creek, Morgan County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

11 May 2002 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Margaret York), a Spring Bird Count record.

4 June 2002 (1 heard) Lilly River Access Point, Clear Creek, Morgan County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

2 May 2003 (1) Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

27 April 2004 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M.Denton).

22 September 2004 (1) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley, Wendell Neeley).

28 April 2006 (1) Cathy Crockett Trail, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

13 May 2006 (1) Martin Creek, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman), a Spring Bird Count record.

7 May 2007 (1) Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Barren County, Kentucky (SJS et al.).

5 May 2008 (1 heard) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).

10 May 2008 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman et al.), a Spring Bird Count record.

17 May 2008 (1) White County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast), a Spring Bird Count record.

16/21 May 2009 (1) Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; see Status).

25 September 2010 (1) DeKalb County, Tennessee (Carol D. Williams), a Fall BirdBlitz record.

26/31 August 2016 (1/1calling) near Barnett Bridge on Clear Creek, Morgan County, Tennessee (Jeanne Richardson).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Spring: x (

    Late Fall: x (

    Note: Because there are a modest number of summer records of this species, the Regional Extreme Dates are given as for Summer Residents. Records are too few to estimate the dates when this species becomes widespread during spring or completes its departure during fall.  Regional dates of earliest reported spring arrival and latest reported fall departure for 2002–2011 follow:

Breeding: Confirmed (Historical); Probable (Recent); the infrequency of June records of this cuckoo suggests that it is best treated as a sporadic breeder in the Region.

Habitat: Strongly prefers hairy caterpillars as a prey item, so forests that support populations of such caterpillars are most likely to attract this cuckoo; populations of such caterpillars are probably not present in constant numbers from year to year.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 0 (of 125) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 1 (of 206) check-lists during 2004, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare during the latter year; this YardWatch frequency classification indicates that this cuckoo is even less frequently encountered in Regional yards and neighborhoods than in the Region as a whole.

Foray Results: Recorded as a migrant during the June 1979 TOS Foray in Fentress County, Tennessee, but unrecorded during any UCR Foray conducted since 2007.

Remarks: Reported from Warren County without date or site by Clyde Malone (pers. comm.).

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Literature Cited