Massachusetts · Summer breeder

Yellow-billed Cuckoos in Massachusetts

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

Cuckoos (Cuculidae)Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus

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

When to expect yellow-billed cuckoos in Massachusetts

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

Humid continental with maritime influence on Cape Cod and the islands.

Nesting in Massachusetts

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

Warm summers; nesting peaks late May to July.

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 Massachusetts plants that attract yellow-billed cuckoos

Of the regional native plants we track for Massachusetts, 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.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

Feeding yellow-billed cuckoos through the Massachusetts year

Top foods: None — leave tent caterpillars for them.
In Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts year-round?

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

When do yellow-billed cuckoos nest in Massachusetts?

Nesting in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?

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

Other backyard birds in Massachusetts

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren 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 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Fox Sparrow American Crow Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Red-eyed Vireo Warbling 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 Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink 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.