Evening star., 1944-09-21
This and That
By Charles E. TraceueU.

FALLS CHURCH, Va.
Dear Sir:
I have seen what to me Is a new
bird. 1t is slightly larger than the
brown thrasher; its back from head to
covert is light tan, with the remainder
a creamy shade. l was not able to see
the underpart of its body.
Il do not find the bird in my three
small bird books and would thank you
to write something about 1t, provided
you have not already done so.
Sincerely yours, DR.. H. K"
* X
Our correspondents bird probably was
the black-billed cuckoo. If not this.
then the yellow-billed cuckoo. it's cousin.
The black-billed is IL to 1915 inches.
as compared with the 1890 to IL inches
OF the brown thrasher The yellow
billed cuckoo is also II to 1915 inches
in length.
The black-billed is fairly common
migrant and rare summer resident.
The yellow billed is a common summer
resident.
Our correspondent probably has lust
seen the bird, therefore it must be a
migrant. He definitely does not mem
tion any black on the tail, and the
yellow billed has some black on the tail.
whereas the black-billed cuckoo does
not have black band
These American cuckoos are not para
site, as is the European bird. In the
United States our bird parasite is the
cowbird, which lays its eggs in other
birds nests
Young of the cuckoos are Matched
naked. Most cuckoos have dull pluma &c,
either gray or some shade of brown or
tan.
1t is interesting to note that the birds
called road runners in the West are
cuckoos, really ground cuckoos.
Another member Of the family is the
groove-billed ami, which is found in
Mexico, Central America and our South
western States.
This is the bird which feeds on para
sites found on the skin of cattle. In
some localities it is known as the tick
bird. Observers say it will cling to a
cows tail and clear it of insects to the
very tip.
BY doing this it somewhat resembles
the famous rhinoceros bird. The ami
also eats insects stirred up by the feet
OF the cattle, and In this resembles the
cowbird. 1t may be realized that the
ami is a bird of parts.
The same may be said of all the
cuckoos In foreign lands they are queer
fellows. some very nicely colored
The ami has an odd habit of congre-
gational egg laying, that is, several
females lay their eggs In the same nest,
and all take turns at the brooding
thereof.
The black-billed cuckoo is more often
heard than seen.
II is, in fact, the famous rain crow
about which people talk SO much.
The odd "kow-kow" is familiar to most
Americans, although probably not one
out Of 10 has ever seen the bird.
Farmers firmly believe that the gut
teral cry predicts rain.
Ornithologists wonder how the bird
ever came to be called rain crow" The
rain part of 1t they understand, but
Just how the popular fancy happened
to think Of the bird as a crow they do
not know. 1t is a light-colored bird.
whereas a crow is about as black as
can be.
Both the yellow-billed and the black
billed birds are called rain crows. Both
species are regarded as nest robbers.
Tent caterpillars are favorite food of
these cuckoos. A curiosity is that they
prefer hairy caterpillars, rather than
the smooth sorts liked by most birds.
Beetles. bugs and grasshoppers also form
part OF their diet. 1t may be realized
that they are most useful birds to have
around, and should never be molested.
An odd fact is that the stomachs of
these birds are often found completely
furred by caterpillar hairs which have
pierced the inner lining and remained
imbedded.