Cuckoos - Tent Caterpillar Birds

0:00This is Bird Note. This staccato call tells us there's a yellow-billed cuckoo nearby. One of two species of cuckos in the woodlands of North America. The yellow-billed lives in broadly forests throughout the east and riparian stands in the southwest. They work common breeding birds in the Pacific Northwest as late as the 1920s. But then they disappeared. Ornithologists still don't know why. The black-billed cuckoo is a more northerly species living in dense woodland, even conifer forests. Cuckos perch quietly and scan their surroundings for food. Hairy tent caterpillars, shunned by most birds, are often on their meal ticket. So, if you have an infestation of tent caterpillars, you might see one of these slender brown and white birds with long, white-spotted tails.

1:07The cuckoo plugs a caterpillar from its tent and manipulates it back and forth in its bill, taking off many of the bothersome hairs. But some of them remain, and cuckoostumics are sometimes lined with these hairs. When the hairs are dense enough to prevent digestion, the entire stomach lining is cast off and regurgitated. Nature finds surprising ways to deal with problems. For Bird Note, I'm Mary McCann. Bird notes from love to action campaign to inspire a million people to take action for birds. It's rooted in the idea that when we love something, we feel moved to protect it. By hearing a bird's song, understanding its story and place in the ecosystem, we're more likely to care for and protect our shared environment. Your contribution today, or recurring monthly gift of any amount at birdnote.org, will power stories about birds in nature

2:08that turn daily appreciation into real-world impact. Together, we can turn love into action. Donate today at birdnote.org.