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BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO aI 
the nests of Sparrows and other small birds, and in 
spring they are frequently seen following the plough 
to pick up worms. , 
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO 
Coccyzus melanocoryphus 
Above pale greyish brown; head cinereous, a black stripe through 
the eyes; beneath white, tinged with ochreous; tail black, tipped 
with white, the two central feathers like the back; length 11.5 
inches. Female similar. 
THE Coucou, so called from its note, is the 
commonest species of the genus in the Argentine 
Republic, and has an extensive range in South 
America. In September it migrates south, and a pair 
or a few individuals re-appear faithfully every spring 
in every orchard or plantation on the pampas. At 
intervals its voice is heard amidst the green trees— 
deep, hoarse, and somewhat human-like in sound, 
the song or call being composed of a series of notes, 
like the syllables cou-cou-cou, beginning loud and 
full, and becoming more rapid until at the end they 
run together. It is a shy bird, conceals itself from 
prying eyes in the thickest foliage, moves with ease 
and grace amongst the closest twigs, and feeds 
principally on large insects and caterpillars, for 
which it searches amongst the weeds and bushes 
near the ground. 
The nest is the flimsiest structure imaginable, 
being composed of a few dry twigs, evidently broken 
