Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo
Coccyzus vetula
An impressive long-tailed bird of moist mid-elevation woodlands including secondary growth, where it feeds in the understory by peeking and probing into vegetation in pursuit of insects and lizards. Generally solitary and secretive, but not shy. Note this species’ long, straight, narrow bill and buff underparts. The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is similar in overall shape, but it is somewhat larger with a chestnut belly and a grayish chest; also note its bill is much shorter and somewhat curved compared to Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo. The passingly similar Mangrove Cuckoo is somewhat smaller, shorter billed, lacks an eyering, and has a black mask. Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoos are often first detected by voice: a rapid-fire, ratcheting “k-k-k-kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh…” that grows slower and louder as it progresses; usually given at a uniform pitch.
Identification
The Jamaican lizard cuckoo is 38 to 40 cm (15 to 16 in) long, about half of which is the tail, and weighs 86 to 105 g (3.0 to 3.7 oz). It has a long, straight, rectangular bill with a black maxilla and a paler mandible. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a brown forehead, crown to below the eye, and nape. Their upperparts are grayish with rufous primaries. Their throat is whitish and the rest of the underparts are rufous that is lighter on the undertail coverts. Their tail feathers are gray with wide white tips; the central pair have a black band above the tip. Their eye is surrounded by bare red skin. Juveniles have narrower tail feathers than adults and buffy tips on the secondaries.
Taxonomy
The Jamaican lizard cuckoo and three other lizard cuckoos were for a time considered a single species. Individually they were previously placed in genus Saurothera that was later merged into the current Coccyzus, and they are considered a superspecies. The Jamaican lizard cuckoo is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Coccyzus vetula
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Coccyzus
Range and habitat
The Jamaican lizard cuckoo is found throughout the island from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of elevation. It primarily inhabits lowland tropical evergreen forest and is also found in tropical deciduous forest, more open woodlands, and semi-arid landscapes of trees and shrubs.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
The Jamaican lizard cuckoo is not migratory.<p>The Jamaican lizard cuckoo forages mostly from the forest mid-story to the canopy, running along branches and gliding from tree to tree. Its diet is cosmopolitan and includes Anolis lizards, adult and larval insects, mice, nestling birds, and sometimes tree frogs. Young are fed mainly with lizards.<p>The Jamaican lizard cuckoo's breeding season generally spans from March to August, though courtship has been observed in October. It makes a flat platform nest of twigs lined with leaves, placed well hidden in a tangle of branches or bromeliads. Both adults incubate the eggs and care for nestlings.<p>The Jamaican lizard cuckoo's principal vocalization is a "[r]apid, low 'cak-cak-cak-ka-ka-ka-k-k'."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rock Pratincole
Glareola nuchalis
Small, dark, short-legged pratincole. In flight, shows a white rump and white stripes under the wings. Found mainly on rocks in fast-flowing rivers. Locally will also use sandbars in rivers and rocky islands in lakes. The call is a high-pitched and quickly repeated “kek.” Separated from other pratincoles by its combination of small size, dark coloration, and stripes under the wings.
Blue-winged Laughingthrush
Trochalopteron squamatum
Brown laughingthrush with a black brow and a bright silvery-azure panel on the wing. Wings, belly, and rump are more rufous-tinged than the rest of the body. Not as social as many other laughingthrushes; never found in large flocks, but rather in small groups, pairs, and even occasionally singly. Forages in tangled undergrowth and can be difficult to see; its high-pitched whistles occasionally give it away, but it can be rather quiet.
Pallid Dove
Leptotila pallida
A rather plain medium-sized dove, mostly restricted to western Ecuador but also occurs in western Colombia and extreme northwestern Peru. Within range, the main confusion species is White-tipped Dove. Pallid Dove has notably darker and warmer brown upperparts that contrast more with the whitish underparts. Like other members of the genus, Pallid is typically found on the ground (or flushing up into the understory). It is most often seen walking on roads or trails, or flying across quickly. There are a few places where it visits feeders. Within its limited range, it is fairly common, but be careful to separate from the equally (or more) common White-tipped Dove. Listen for its low-pitched, single “hoo” call.
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