A Rain Crow finally gave me the kind of clear view I have been trying to get for years. I spotted this Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma on June 9.
I have written before about how hard these birds are for me to photograph. This time, one landed in the open long enough for two good photos.
Rain Crow Finally Perched in the Open
I was driving the auto tour road when I saw a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos fly down to the road in front of my truck. My guess is they were going after insects.
They did not stay on the road long. Both birds flew into a nearby tree.
Most of the time, that is where the story ends for me. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo slips into the leaves, and I may hear it but never get a clean look.
This one did something different. It landed on an open perch in the willows.
That gave me a clear view of the bird, including the pale underside, long tail, and yellow on the lower bill. Those are the kinds of details I rarely get in the open with this species.
I have written about this challenge before in these posts:
Watching a Yellow-billed Cuckoo Along the Auto Tour Road
I grew up in the South knowing this bird as a Rain Crow. That name has always stuck with me.
People often connect the Rain Crow name with the bird’s call and the approach of rain or stormy weather. Whether or not rain follows, that call is one I have heard many times in the woods.
Seeing one is another matter.
These birds can be close and still hard to find. They move through thick leaves and branches, and they often stay hidden.
That is why this encounter stood out. The bird did not disappear into the foliage right away. It gave me a few seconds in a clean opening.
Then it moved to a second perch and stayed visible again.
Photographing This Cuckoo From My Truck
I photographed this Rain Crow from inside my truck. That helped me stay still and avoid pushing the bird deeper into cover.
The light was bright enough for a decent shutter speed. The green willow leaves also gave the scene a strong summer look.
These photos were hand-held, which is not always easy at 800 mm. I had to react quickly before the bird moved again.
Camera settings:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- Lens: Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
- Focal length: 800 mm
- Aperture: f/9
- Shutter speed: 1/1000 second
- ISO: 1600 and 1250
- Exposure compensation: 0
- Support: Hand-held from inside my truck
- Date and time: June 09, 2026, at 07:33 A.M.
Getting these two photos felt great. The Rain Crow is one of those birds that makes me work for every clear frame.
That makes a short roadside encounter like this one even better.
Very nice, Steve. I, too, have heard them more often than I have seen them. Either way, it’s a rare sighting and a privilege. I did not even know we had cuckoos in the United States until I was an adult. In Maine we would bet both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos. Here in AZ we only get the Yellow-billed and I have yet to see or hear one since moving back.