20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The Knocking Bird Came Knocking

I saw posts in a nature group here in Indiana about sightings of a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo this summer. I had never heard of this bird before, let alone seen one. I looked it up and discovered that it is nicknamed "The Knocking Bird" because of its unusual call. I thought to myself that I would never be so lucky as to see such a rare bird. While fixing lunch one day, a bird hit my window, and I ran to see what it was. I knew immediately from the Facebook posts that it was a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo! He was dazed, but otherwise fine, and he allowed me to take his photo before he flew away.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2022
Date Uploaded: 10.2022
Photo Location: Frankfort, Indiana, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D3300
Copyright: © Lynn Johnson