{"id":129511,"date":"2024-06-16T03:01:04","date_gmt":"2024-06-16T08:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=129511"},"modified":"2024-06-16T05:26:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-16T10:26:37","slug":"yellow-billed-cuckoo-aka-rain-crow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/06\/16\/yellow-billed-cuckoo-aka-rain-crow\/","title":{"rendered":"Yellow-billed Cuckoo aka Rain Crow"},"content":{"rendered":"

In addition to getting Mississippi Kite images I liked on my last visit to Tishomingo NWR, I finally took some Yellow-billed Cuckoo photos that I enjoy too.<\/p>\n

\"Yellow-billedYellow-billed Cuckoo aka Rain Crow in Oklahoma \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/250, ISO 800, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yellow-billed Cuckoos are rather elusive; hiding in plain sight is one of their abilities. I am hearing these cuckoos frequently now at the refuges I visit and even at home from the trees that are a road south and east.<\/p>\n

These cuckoos can be especially hard to spot because they sit so still and blend in so well in their preferred habitats. I hear<\/span><\/a> them more than I see them, that is for sure.<\/p>\n

I stopped at the refuge to listen to some White-eyed Vireos calling when I noticed this Yellow-billed Cuckoo fly in and land in a nearby tree. I knew exactly where the bird was and still had a hard time finding it when I looked through my viewfinder.<\/p>\n

Once I locked onto the cuckoo, I let my camera do the work by adjusting my settings. The lighting conditions weren’t the greatest, but when it comes to these birds, I often have to do the best with the lighting conditions I have.<\/p>\n

Yellow-billed Cuckoos are also called Rain Crows and Storm Crows because of their habit of calling before storms roll in. My thanks go out to Steve Creek,<\/span><\/a> my dear friend and fellow photographer, for teaching me the colloquial name “Rain Crow” when I visited him in Arkansas last year. I’d never used that name and now I do!<\/p>\n

I used to enjoy hearing and seeing Yellow-billed Cuckoos<\/span><\/a> in my garden in Virginia. Sitting on my porch and hearing their calls was a joy. Once I believe I heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. I never saw the bird so I never reported it except to a few friends.<\/p>\n

I need to make a whole new section in my bird photo galleries<\/span><\/a> to showcase these cuckoos. In time, I will.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In addition to getting Mississippi Kite images I liked on my last visit to Tishomingo NWR, I finally took some Yellow-billed Cuckoo photos that I enjoy too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":129508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,15144,13973,15021,15224],"tags":[4004,13985,13984,6577,15226,15227,15228,6583,4104,11783,15229,165,15230,4427,15225],"class_list":["post-129511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-johnston-county","category-oklahoma","category-tishomingo-national-wildlife-refuge","category-yellow-billed-cuckoos","tag-adult","tag-bottomland-hardwood-forests","tag-bottomlands","tag-branches","tag-coccyzus-americanus","tag-cuckoo","tag-cuckoos","tag-leaves","tag-perched","tag-prunus","tag-rain-crow","tag-spring","tag-storm-crow","tag-tree","tag-yellow-billed-cuckoo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t