The best source of information on the population status of Yellow-billed Cuckoo is the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). However, as some Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoo calls can be indistinguishable, and their ranges overlap, the suitability and overall reliability of the BBS are considered medium even though coverage and precision are both high. The national BBS trend shows that the population was below its goal range from roughly 1985 to 2015, but has rebounded to a level similar to the early 1970s. At the regional level, there has been a large increase at the northern extent of the Canadian range in central Ontario and Quebec, but a moderate decrease in southern Ontario and Quebec.

The goal for Yellow-billed Cuckoo is to maintain its population at or above the level it was at in the early 1970s, based on the Breeding Bird Survey. Recent data show that the population is within its goal range.