Yellow-billed Cuckoo Mating Ritual Along Sally Jones Causeway

I stopped beside Sally Jones Causeway to photograph turtles resting on a log. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo then landed close to my vehicle. Within moments, I watched Yellow-billed Cuckoo mating behavior I never expected to see.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Mating Beside the Causeway

I visited Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma on June 5, 2023. The time was about 9:20 a.m.

Leafy branches lined the water near the causeway. One Yellow-billed Cuckoo landed on an open branch beside my parked vehicle.

Its yellow bill and white underparts stood out first. Its brown-gray back and bold tail pattern also helped identify it.

These birds often stay inside thick foliage. Getting such a clear view was a welcome surprise.

Female Yellow-billed Cuckoo perched on a leafy branch at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma — A Yellow-billed Cuckoo pauses on an open branch near Sally Jones Causeway.

Another cuckoo soon approached with a dragonfly. The first bird then held the insect in her bill.

The dragonfly appeared to be part of the courtship sequence. It added another layer to an already unusual encounter.

Female Yellow-billed Cuckoo holding a dragonfly on a branch at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge — The female Yellow-billed Cuckoo holds the dragonfly during the courtship encounter.

The male then hopped onto the female’s back. Everything happened near the road and within view of my vehicle.

I had only a short time to photograph the behavior before the moment passed.

Two Yellow-billed Cuckoos mating on a branch beside Sally Jones Causeway in Oklahoma — Two Yellow-billed Cuckoos during the brief mating behavior beside Sally Jones Causeway.

Photographing the Courtship from My Parked Vehicle

I kept my vehicle parked and photographed from that position. The birds remained on exposed branches above the water.

That position gave me a clear view without changing the scene. The water also created a simple background behind the birds.

At 500mm, I could frame the behavior tightly. I still included enough leaves and branches to show the setting.

I used these settings for the final photograph:

Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/800 second
ISO: 500, Auto
Exposure compensation: +1.0 EV
Focal length: 500mm
Date and time: June 5, 2023, at 9:20 a.m.
Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma

The dragonfly made this series stand out to me. I had stopped to watch turtles and left with a completely different wildlife story.

Encounters like this reward patience and close attention. An ordinary stop can change within seconds.

I shared another close encounter in Capturing the Elusive Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Both experiences showed how quickly this secretive bird can appear.

Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge continues to offer those unexpected moments. They are one reason I keep returning with my camera.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Mating Ritual at Sequoyah Refuge

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Mating Beside the Causeway

Photographing the Courtship from My Parked Vehicle

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