Yellow-billed Cuckoo In Luria Park

Early this morning in hopes the humidity was less we headed out to see any fall migrating birds heading south. We spotted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the maple tree by the bridge in Luria Park.

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is one of our summer birds spending winter in South America. They like to stay hidden in the tree canopy preferring to remain very still unless they are foraging for caterpillars. They prefer large hairy ones like tent caterpillars.

They are a large slim bird about 11 inches long. They have a distinctive long black and white tail. They will perch with shoulders hunched to disguise their bright white underparts while they look for tasty fat insects.

Exciting to see this elusive bird in Luria Park. Fall migration is in full swing and you may very well see some unusual birds on their way south.

We also saw a Brown Thrasher gobbling down the fruit from a tree by the bridge.

These large thrushes will migrate to Georgia and Florida for the winter. And this fellow was fueling up for his journey!