Evening star., 1946-05-30
This andaThat
BIZ Charles Z. Trdce,peU.

Rain crow. 1t is called, but 1t might
as well be known as the invisible bird,
because it is so seldom seen.
Two species, as a matter Of fact, are
rain crows, in the popular mind, al
though no relation whatever of the
crows.
The birds are the yelloW-billed cuckoo,
and the black-billed cuckoo. and they
are not cuckoos, either.
They are not related to the famous
European cuckoo, and they have none
OF its habits of putting their eggs in the
nests of other birds.
These American cuckoos, or rain
crows, have no such soft voices as the
bird which has had SO much poetry
written about it, and whose song, simple
as 1t is, has been put into symphonies.
No, our American rain crows are not
songsters. in real sense, although they
are classed as songbirds.
Some people call them rain doves, not
only because they slightly resemble our
mourning dove. but also because they
believe that their odd cry heralds rain.
The rain crow sound is unique in our
trees, sort of poll parrot cry, mimicked
in such popular names as kow-kow, and
chow-chow, and yet neither of these
really gives the sound
If you hear a bird voice unlike any
other, and wonder, What on earth is
that?' you may feel pretty sure that
it is rain crow. but whether it will be
the yellow-billed or the black billed
variety you will have difficulty in dis
covering.
This fellow flies high and seems to
wonder at his temerity in doing it, but
he manages to eat more tent catapillars
than any other bird.
This fact should stand him in good
stead in human minds when they realize
that he is an egg thief, too, and also is
not above stealing baby birds.
He does not do these i'll deeds boldly,
however, as the jay sometimes does, or
the hawk, but in sneaking manner.
still as if he were very much ashamed
of what he is doing Should this be in
his favor? 1t is doubtful.
These cuckoos are about foot long,
with slight differences in coloration, ex-
cept that their bills live up to their
names.
The yellow billed is a grayish brown
above, white below; the black billed is
olive brown above, white below.
Even if you could see them then, you
would have to look close, and, as we have
stated, you will seldom If ever see them.
Invisible bird, it is, in most yards. We
have had one in the tops of the trees for
several weeks, but try as we would, have
never had so much as glimpse of him.
He lives up to the lines:
20, cuckoo, shall call thee bird
Or but a wandering voice."
And such voice! 1t has a peculiar
tone, reminding one of small boy try
ing to initiate parakeet.
The yellow billed one has white mark
ings on its tail, and these serve to
identify it, if it is seen in fight.
The nest of both species is rough,
and much like that of the mourning
dove, except that it is not so fiat, and is
never built on the ground.
OF the two, the yellow billed cuckoo
makes the best nest, putting it in a
tree fork, usually about eight feet from
the ground.
The black-billed bird, on the other
hand, will make its nest higher, often
as much as Is feet high. This nest is
shallower, and sometimes is so fiat that
the eggs roll of, in which case the birds
eat them.
The eggs Of both species are greenish
blue. and vary from two to six at a
nesting. The bird winters In South
America.