Black-billed Cuckoos are quite uncommon as best I can tell in
Albemarle County. Thus, I was startled yesterday at 6:15 AM to hear
one singing outside my house, right in Charlottesville. There are a
number of tall oaks around my house. What may have been the impetus
for this bird to sing was an approaching rain. About 10 minutes after
it began to sing, rain began to fall. Farmers have called the cuckoos
rain crows because of this. Since rain was approaching more than just
Albemarle County yesterday morning, I'm wondering if any one else had
this experience? Or, has anyone noticed this behavior ever, of
singing before a rain, in cuckoos? Stauffer Miller
