Yellow-billed Cuckoo
(Coccyzus americanus)

Summary

Picture of bird
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The Yellow-billed Cuckoo's distribution in Canada is restricted mainly to southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec. This species is monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey, which indicates a loss in abundance of more than 50% since 1970. The species was formerly an uncommon summer resident in British Columbia, but is now considered accidental (Campbell et al. 1990).

Designations

Main designations for the species
DesignationStatusDateSubspecies, population
IUCN (Global)Least concern2018 
Partners in Flight (North America)Common birds in steep decline2017 
Wild Species (Canada)Apparently secure2015 

Population status

Geographic area or populationPopulation change relative to ~1970ReliabilityStatus in relation to goal
CanadaLarge DecreaseMediumBelow Acceptable Level
 

Population estimate

Geographic area or populationPopulation estimate
Canada5,000 - 50,000 adults
 

Distribution maps

 

Migration strategy, occurrence

Long-distance migrant

Responsibility for conservation

Geographic areaResponsibility based on % of global population
CanadaVery Low

General nesting period in Canada

Nesting period starts between mid-May and late May and ends in late July, depending on the region. Before or after this period, the probability of an active nest is lower.
 

Conservation and management

Although Canada's responsibility for this species is very low, there are concerns over steadily decreasing populations in the United States (Hughes 2015), where western populations have undergone major range retractions. The species is sensitive to habitat fragmentation and degradation of riparian woodlands (Hughes 2015). Increases in average localized temperatures, caused by climate change, are expected to lead to further population declines (Hughes 2015).

 

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

  • conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
  • stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
  • management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
  • other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
RegionSub-region and priority type
NoneNone
 

References