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Date: 6/26/26 1:21 pm From: Debra Rittelmann <dlrittelmann...> Subject: Re: Third Breeding Bird Atlas update: continued low numbers of cuckoos
Ironically, my neighbor and I were just talking about this this past week; we both noticed the lack of Cuckoo calls and we've had them in the yard in the past. Also on my neighbor's farm. Hope it's not a forever thing. Deb Rittelmann On Fri, Jun 26, 2026 at 1:54 PM Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...> wrote: > Statewide breeding bird survey analyses over the past 30 years show > significant declines for both cuckoo species. > > ------------------------------ > From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf > of Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> > Sent: Friday, 26 June 2026 07:53:46 > To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...> > Subject: Third Breeding Bird Atlas update: continued low numbers of > cuckoos > > After year one of this breeding bird atlas, I sent out an email on this > topic, but now we are into the third season and not much has changed. Both > Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Black-billed Cuckoo continue to be reported in low > numbers. > > During the second Breeding Bird Atlas, in 2004-2009, Yellow-billed Cuckoo > was reported in 66% of blocks while Black-billed Cuckoo was reported in 34% > of blocks. In my two Breeding Bird Surveys, regular cycles have occurred, > with periodic higher numbers coinciding with caterpillar outbreaks, such as > spongy (formerly gypsy) moths and webworms. But, no cuckoos in my two > routes during the three years of this atlas, which is unprecedented. During > the atlas, I have recorded 9 Yellow-billeds and 1 Black-billeds, where I > would normally have expected to record many more. (Around here, > Yellow-billeds usually outnumber Black-billeds by roughly 10:1.) > > To see where they have been reported so far during this atlas, bring up > the atlas species on-line map: > https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fatlaspa%2Fmap&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7Ca996ef7204154d81520a08ded3c070be%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639181020640252814%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6jTOpa5AoFI5WhOOB0wffxg1Ae4ZXI4JOPFP23ZhH3w%3D&reserved=0 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fatlaspa%2Fmap&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7Ca996ef7204154d81520a08ded3c070be%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639181020640276138%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2F2Av1PGOAjvIF%2BE1g7oEvcGIT1BC8TLLeC24Th34VKc%3D&reserved=0> > Enter YBCU or BBCU to see the atlas 3 maps. > > Not having many cuckoos means that PA has not experienced widespread > caterpillar outbreaks, which is probably a good thing for the trees. > However, the low cuckoo numbers are very atypical of what we usually find. > > Nick Bolgiano >

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