[texbirds] Re: Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- From: "Willie Sekula" <williebird22@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2013 19:08:57 -0600
A Yellow-billed Cuckoo on March 9th would be unprecedented even for a
globally-warmed Texas. In my 40 years of birding the state I've never seen
much less heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in March. As Eric stated, this
species doesn't really start showing up in the state till mid-April and that
tends to be coastally. Usually by the end of April is when this species
begins to makes it presence known in inland South Texas. A March 9th cuckoo
might be something more southerly. There is a record of Dark-billed Cuckoo
for the state (10 February 1986).
Willie Sekula
Falls City
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Ronnie Kramer
Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2013 6:20 PM
To: Eric Carpenter
Cc: TexBirds
Subject: [texbirds] Re: Yellow-billed Cuckoo
The call was not the simpler repeated coo. It gave a series of staccato
notes increasing in tempo and then the slower clap, clap, clap. I
immediately listened for a mockingbird singing, as they will often begin
mimicking migrants a few weeks before they return. There was none singing
at right then. I then played bird tunes in the field to confirm for myself.
I just listed to all the tapes I have of ground-dove and roadrunner and I
have no recording of them giving a series of staccato notes increasing then
decreasing in tempo.
I agree that this record should not be confirmed as reliable distribution
data, and I do not expect it to be by any means. I probably wouldn't accept
it myself even if it were reported as seen (without a photo). Just
reporting what I'm sure I heard :)
btw/ added it to my local patch list.
~rk
On Sat, Mar 9, 2013 at 4:25 PM, Eric Carpenter <ecarpe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> The typical early date for YB Cuckoos in central Texas is probably
> closer to 15 April; they aren't in good numbers until the latter part
> of April. There are no details for the other March eBird record you
> mention and it was probably validated w/o investigation or by accident
> as has happened from time to time (and we find ourselves re-reviewing
> many of these old outliers based on comments like these).
>
> I have always been leery of extraordinary first-of-season sightings
> that are heard-only, whether they are YB Cuckoos, Golden-cheeked
> Warblers, Acadian Flycatchers, or anything else. I would offer perhaps
> Common Ground-Dove or Greater Roadrunner in this case. An early March
> YB Cuckoo will have a difficult time surviving and finding food, not
> even thinking about advertising for a mate.
>
> --
> Eric Carpenter
> Austin
>
> On Sat, Mar 9, 2013 at 3:42 PM, Ronnie Kramer
> <ronniekramer1964@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > This morning while leading a field trip in NE Austin, I had a heard
> > only, but unmistakable Yellow-billed Cuckoo. This seems to be about
> > 2 weeks early for the 'earliest' records in Travis County. I found
> > a March 24,
> > 2003 record for Travis Co. in eBird.
>
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
from the List Owner
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
from the List Owner
Other related posts:
