Status of Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) in Big Bend National Park 2016
Flippo MR. 2016. Status of Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) in Big Bend National Park 2016. Big Bend National Park, TX
This report is a survey of the presence and status of yellow-billed cuckoo in Big Bend National Park. The survey was conducted by Mark Flippo between June 04 and July 10, 2016, a total of twelve surveys in four different locations were conducted to provide a survey of the presence and status of yellow-billed cuckoo in Big Bend National Park. Additionally, three locations surveyed in 2015 were revisited to determine site fidelity. Adult cuckoos were documented in all four locations, a dependent juvenile bird was observed at one location on the park’s east side, and one active nest was located at one site on the park’s west side. All three revisited sites again held adult cuckoos, including one pair building a nest at one location on the park’s west side. Initial results in 2015 suggested that yellow-billed cuckoos on the park’s east side utilize different habitat and appear to be on a different schedule with regard to nesting (earlier) than those on the west side. 2016 results support this premise in part. The time frame of nesting on the park’s east side is ahead of that on the west-side by 10-14 days. Contrary to the premise, cuckoos on both sides of the park utilized mesquite dominated habitat containing stands of mature trees. In locations containing only small areas of mesquite dominated habitat, cuckoos exhibited flexibility in habitat/ nesting substrate selection.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Flippo, Mark
- Date of Issue
- 2016-07-18
- Units
- BIBE
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Big Bend National Park, Birds, Coccyzus americanus occidentalis, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, yellow-billed cuckoo
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Birds