I was quite shocked when I spotted this Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) with a frog in its mouth on this past Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. When I first spotted the bird, it was mostly hidden in the foliage of the tree, but I could clearly see the dangling frog. I stopped in my tracks, quickly adjusted the settings on my camera, and took some shots. When I moved slightly to the side to try to get a better angle, alas, the bird detected my presence and flew away with its prey.
I had no idea that a bird like a cuckoo would consume a frog. Wow! According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Caterpillars top the list of Yellow-Billed Cuckoo prey: individual cuckoos eat thousands of caterpillars per season. On the East coast, periodic outbreaks of tent caterpillars draw cuckoos to the tentlike webs, where they may eat as many as 100 caterpillars at a sitting. Fall webworms and the larvae of spongy (formerly gypsy), brown-tailed, and white-marked tussock moths are also part of the cuckoo’s lepidopteran diet, often supplemented with beetles, ants, and spiders. They also take advantage of the annual outbreaks of cicadas, katydids, and crickets, and will hop to the ground to chase frogs and lizards. In summer and fall, cuckoos forage on small wild fruits, including elderberries, blackberries and wild grapes. In winter, fruit and seeds become a larger part of the diet.”
I love to capture images like this one. No how many times I visit a familiar location, there always seems to be something new to see. My favorite encounters most often seem to occur when I am by myself and moving slowly, immersed in the natural world. Fortunately I am quick to react with my camera, for these moments tend to be ephemeral and fleeting.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
OH my goodness what a great catch I have never seen this.
I have some tent caterpillars they are welcome to.
That’s amazing! I hope you sent the photo to Cornell. I had no idea they took frogs.
I posted the sighting on ebird along with the photo that then becomes part of the Macaulay Library collection, which I believe is associated with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Great! I’m sure they appreciated it. We lived in Ithaca for 30 years and I have fond memories of walks through sapsucker woods.
Sent from my iPhone
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Awesome image Mike! A great chance encounter well photographed!
I’ve never seen one do that. Good shot. 👍
What a great spot and wonderful capture! As you know, I always enjoy photos that show some kind of behaviour so I like seeing this cuckoo selecting its lunch.
What a great shot – and nice too that it will go into the library.
Of course it pains me to see a frog about to be gulped but everyone has to eat. I’ve witnessed a few of these banquets.
I have seen frogs consumed by blue and green herons, but I don’t expect to see a from on the menu of a songbird. I agree with the thought, though, that all creatures have to eat.
Great capture (both you and the cuckoo!) Is he really going to eat that poor frog, or has greed got the better of him? We have a saying in the UK that mothers use to reprimand greedy children, they say “your eyes bigger than your belly”, and I think that phrase may apply here too.
Thanks. I wondered about that myself. Unfortunately the bird flew away and I was not able to see what happened next. With some birds, like the Great Blue Heron, I have been shocked by the size of the fish that I have watched them swallow. I had the same feeling when I saw a snake ingest a frog. My favorite encounter of that type, though, was when I saw a Northern Water Snake swallow a catfish (https://michaelqpowell.com/2017/07/20/snake-catches-catfish/)