Minnesota · Summer breeder

Yellow-billed Cuckoos in Minnesota

When yellow-billed cuckoos are present in Minnesota, when they nest, which native Minnesota plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–5b yard.

Cuckoos (Cuculidae)Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus

Status in Minnesota: Summer breeder
Nesting window: June–August
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–5b

When to expect yellow-billed cuckoos in Minnesota

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

Continental, with very cold winters and warm summers; prairie in the west, boreal forest in the northeast.

Nesting in Minnesota

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

A short, intense breeding season; most nesting runs May through July.

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

Native Minnesota plants that attract yellow-billed cuckoos

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

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea · Shrub

White fruit and red-stemmed winter cover.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier alnifolia · Shrub

Early-summer fruit.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Acorns and bark insects.

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.

Feeding yellow-billed cuckoos through the Minnesota year

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

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

When do yellow-billed cuckoos nest in Minnesota?

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

What native plants attract yellow-billed cuckoos in Minnesota?

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

Other backyard birds in Minnesota

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped 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 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 Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven 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 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 Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Palm Warbler 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 Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Dickcissel Common Redpoll 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.