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Yellow-billed Cuckoos 473

Foraging­Ideas­for the Aviary
Find webworms to put in the outdoor aviary for foraging and feeding the birds. Roll up mealworms
in the mealworm bag and clip to a branch for the birds to eat them as they wiggle their way out
(Figure 29.4). Add just‐hatched mealworm beetles or live crickets to the diet and anything else that
moves or can climb up a screen. Fruit/berries can be poked on branches or sprigs of berries attached
to bigger branches. Add food cups attached to branches in various locations in the aviary to encour-
age flying as they get older.

Release Criteria

YBCUs are long‐distance migrants. Not much is known about their migration route other than it
is thought that some birds go through Mexico and then further south, while eastern birds probably
cross over the Gulf of Mexico, or island hop to Central America. Check eBird or other online bird-
ing sites for last migration dates for the area and to see if (or where) any YBCUs have been recently
sighted; good release sites may be found that way. Make sure each bird’s body condition and feath-
ers are in good shape for migration (Figure 29.5). No wing feathers should be frayed or not nicely
zipped. Their chest muscles should be filled out and they should be able to take short flights in the
aviary. Cuckoos do not get as “flighty” as other species do when they “want out,” so just flying from
one branch to another is a good sign. The bird should be able to pull fruits off of sticks/vines and
catch grasshoppers or other live prey.
When sprayed, the bird should be water resistant and water should bead up on the bird’s feath-
ers. Hopefully it will have had a few days in the aviary when it rained so the bird has learned what
rain is. If not, trying using a water mister or sprinkler to see how the bird fares.

Figure 29.4 Mealworms escaping from a cloth bag to provide foraging opportunities in the aviary.