Black-Billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

"Uncommon in woods, often in wet openings with willows. Solitary. Feeds mainly on caterpillars. More slender than other cuckoos, with thinner tail. Distinguished from Yellow-billed Cuckoo by dark bill, little or no tail spots, and less contrasting plumage overall." (David Allen Sibley. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, p. 219)

"Rare spring and rare to very rare fall migrant in the eastern half of the state. Black-billed Cuckoos are most frequently encountered in woodlots and other stop-over habitats along the Coastal Prairies, where they can be locally uncommon ... Migration typically occurs from mid-April to late May and from mid-July to early November" (Mark W. Lockwood & Brush Freeman's The TOS Handbook of Texas Birds, p. 92)

Here is another view.

Picture taken with a Nikon D300 using a Nikon manual focus 400mm, f/5.6, manual focus lens.

August 30, 2014.