NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus (A. Wilson, 1811)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) is a New World species in the Cuculidae (cuckoo) family. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, kokkuzo, means to call like a common cuckoo, and erythropthalmus is from eruthros, "red" and ophthalmos, "eye".
It is very similar to, and overlaps in range with, the closely related yellow-billed cuckoo. A distinguishing characteristic of the family Cuculidae is laying eggs in the nests of other birds. Although many cuckoos are obligate brood parasites, C. erythropthalmus often incubate their own chicks.
Wikipedia contributors, Black-billed cuckoo; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:36:38.643072+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Coccyzus erythropthalmus (A. Wilson, 1811)
- Name authority
- (A. Wilson, 1811)
- Common name
- Black-billed Cuckoo
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Coccyzus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderCuculiformes
- familyCuculidae
- genusCoccyzus Vieillot, 1816
- speciesCoccyzus erythropthalmus (A. Wilson, 1811)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Coccyzus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Pearly-breasted CuckooCoccyzus euleri Cabanis, 1873 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cocos CuckooCoccyzus ferrugineus Gould, 1843 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray-capped CuckooCoccyzus lansbergi Bonaparte, 1850 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cuban Lizard-cuckooCoccyzus merlini (d'Orbigny, 1839) | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus (Linnaeus, 1758) | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dark-billed CuckooCoccyzus melacoryphus Vieillot, 1817 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mangrove CuckooCoccyzus minor (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Cuculus erythropthalmus A. Wilson, 1811 A. Wilson, 1811 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=177834 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5ZHNV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.