I also heard a call this evening near my home that didn't sound exactly like the
cuckoo on eNature (didn't check any CDs yet).  I was quite close to it, and it
circled around me several times, but I never saw it.  Very secretive.  To me it
sounded like w'kuh-kuh, w'kuh-kuh, etc..  It was always 3 monotone syllables,
with the first one somewhat abbreviated.  It would do this incessantly for
several minutes at a time.  Then it would be quiet for a minute, then start up
again in a different spot.  I never got a glimpse of it!

Ken Copenhaver
Fairfax VT

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Date:    Mon, 6 Jun 2005 09:06:47 -0400
From:    "Lawrence, Miriam" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: black-billed cuckoo -- want to confirm

I'm rather certain that I heard a black-billed cuckoo calling from the
treeline bordering our field late yesterday afternoon. However, I have never
heard one before.

My only lack of certainty comes from the fact that the call examples on both
my Peterson's CD and eNature.com have 4-5 repeated notes and sound just
slightly metallic, whereas the call I heard was "cu-cu-cu," three notes, all
on the same pitch, and a bit mellower, repeated over and over again.  The
eNature site says the voice can be 2-5 notes, and the sound was otherwise
quite similar, so I'm assuming I'm making the right call here.

Is there any other bird this could possibly have been?

Thanks,

Miriam Lawrence