Indiana · Summer breeder

Yellow-billed Cuckoos in Indiana

When yellow-billed cuckoos are present in Indiana, when they nest, which native Indiana plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–7a yard.

Cuckoos (Cuculidae)Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus

Status in Indiana: Summer breeder
Nesting window: May–August
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 5b–7a

When to expect yellow-billed cuckoos in Indiana

Yellow-billed Cuckoos are summer residents in Indiana, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent.

Humid continental, from Lake Michigan dunes in the north to the forested hill country of the south.

Nesting in Indiana

Across Indiana, yellow-billed cuckoos typically nest from May–August. Plan around that window: April for setup, August for clean-out.

Warm, humid summers with frequent storms.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, serviceberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Native Indiana plants that attract yellow-billed cuckoos

Of the regional native plants we track for Indiana, these 8 provide food or cover yellow-billed cuckoos use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Feeding yellow-billed cuckoos through the Indiana year

Top foods: None — leave tent caterpillars for them.
In Indiana's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for yellow-billed cuckoos · Best feeder for yellow-billed cuckoos

Frequently asked

Are yellow-billed cuckoos in Indiana year-round?

No. Yellow-billed Cuckoos are summer breeders in Indiana and leave for the winter.

When do yellow-billed cuckoos nest in Indiana?

Nesting in Indiana typically runs May–August, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 1–5 eggs, incubated for 9–11 days.

What native plants attract yellow-billed cuckoos in Indiana?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak are native plants in Indiana that provide food or cover for yellow-billed cuckoos.

Other backyard birds in Indiana

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Golden-crowned Kinglet Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo White-eyed Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Dickcissel Blue Grosbeak Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.