Yellow-billed Cuckoo in July
Where yellow-billed cuckoos are in July, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
July in the Yellow-billed Cuckoo's year
July is the quietest month for bird song but one of the busiest for bird life. Many species are on second broods, young birds from first broods are independent, and natural food — insects, ripening fruit and seeds — is abundant. In the far South the first southbound shorebirds are already moving.
For the Yellow-billed Cuckoo specifically, July is a summer month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 41 states and provinces where yellow-billed cuckoos occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where yellow-billed cuckoos are in July
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- summer breeder
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In July, yellow-billed cuckoos are absent in the South, summer breeder across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in July
July is inside the Yellow-billed Cuckoo nesting season. Nest: flimsy stick platform in a shrub or low tree. Clutch 1–5 eggs, incubation 9–11 days, 1–2 per season.
The season is broadly synchronized across the range this month. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in July
- Tent caterpillars, cicadas, katydids and beetles
Called the 'rain crow' for calling before storms; one of few birds that eats hairy caterpillars in bulk.
Feeder traffic often dips as natural food peaks, but water becomes the big draw — a clean birdbath outpulls seed in hot weather.
Full Yellow-billed Cuckoo diet guide → · Best feeder for yellow-billed cuckoos →
Watching yellow-billed cuckoos this month
In July, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region yellow-billed cuckoos are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo month by month
Yellow-billed Cuckoo by state
Frequently asked
Where are yellow-billed cuckoos in July?
In July, yellow-billed cuckoos are absent in the South, summer breeder across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do yellow-billed cuckoos nest in July?
Yes — July falls inside the Yellow-billed Cuckoo nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do yellow-billed cuckoos eat in July?
Tent caterpillars, cicadas, katydids and beetles.
Sources
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
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.