Pavonine Cuckoo
Dromococcyx pavoninus
Bizarre looking cuckoo; small-headed with a very long, graduated tail. The head, neck and breast are rufous, but note the prominent rufous eyebrow. The white belly contrasts with the dark brown back, wings and tail, the latter with white tips. Found in lowland rainforest, forest edge, and second growth. Usually fiendishly hard to see. A brood parasite. The voice is a melodic, “puu-pe-pu-pepe” repeated endlessly day or night.
Identification
The head and crest of this bird is rusty brown and the remaining plumage is mainly dark brown above and paler below, with a rich buff coloured supercilium, throat and breast. It is similar in appearance to the pheasant cuckoo but has a slightly different call and is larger overall. Additionally, the buff supercilium, throat and breast of the pheasant cuckoo is paler than in the pavonine cuckoo and the throat and breast of the pheasant cuckoo are heavily marked while those areas of the pavonine cuckoo have no dark spots or streaks.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Dromococcyx pavoninus
- Authority
- Pelzeln, 1870
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Dromococcyx
Range and habitat
The pavonine cuckoo inhabits the understorey of subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests in South America, where it is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. It has a wide range but a patchy distribution, being absent from some areas where it might have been expected to be present.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Little is known of the behaviour of this widespread, but shy and skulking, bird, which people hear far more often than they see. It appears to be a mainly solitary species. It has a curious appearance when in flight, resembling the flapping wings of a butterfly. The tail is spread and the wingbeats are slow and measured, and there is a brief pause when they are at the top of their beat above the bird.<p>The pavonine cuckoo is a brood parasite, a rare breeding strategy in the Amazon. Among its known host species which includes drab-breasted bamboo tyrant, ochre-faced tody-flycatcher, eared pygmy tyrant and plain antvireo. As with other parasitic cuckoos, parental care of eggs and young is provided by the host species. The female lays a single egg per parasitised nest; unlike other cuckoos the eggs are not very similar to the eggs of the host. On hatching the cuckoo chick kills any host chicks or removes their eggs. Chicks remain in their host's nests for 24 days after hatching.<p>It diet is little known but consists mainly of insects. mostly orthoptera. It is normally seen on the ground or in forest understorey, which is probably where it hunts for its insect food.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-browed Coucal
Centropus superciliosus
A large, robust, ungainly cuckoo with rufous wings and a long, broad tail. Shows a solid dark cap and back of the head, and white underparts. Unlike other coucals, shows an obviously barred rump and upper tail coverts. It often moves clumsily, preferring to clamber about in rank vegetation or walk on the ground foraging for insects or small vertebrates. Its flight is labored and heavy. This species uses a wide variety of habitats with a thick understory, including savanna, woodland, forest edge, and wetlands. The song is a deep descending bubbling series, “bu-bu-bu bu bu bu bu”, that falls and then rises in pitch.
Zanzibar Boubou
Laniarius sublacteus
A heavily built black-and-white bushshrike. The upperparts are cleanly black and the underparts are white with a pinkish tinge. Uses habitats with a dense understory, including riparian thickets, coastal scrub, forest, and gardens. Found in pairs, which usually skulk but sometimes hop about in the open. Similar to Tropical Boubou, but barely overlaps in range and lacks a white shoulder patch. Also similar to the smaller Black-backed Puffback, but separated by the lack of white on the upperparts. Has a diverse range of vocalizations, including a hollow rising whistle, up-and-down “laser gun” notes, rasps, and croaks, often delivered in a duet by a pair.
Yellow-billed Cardinal
Paroaria capitata
A sleek bird with a gray back, white chest and collar, and a bright red head. Immatures look similar to adults, but are brown instead of red. Similar to Red-crested Cardinal, but lacks a crest. Associated with waterside habitats such as forested marshes, flooded fields, riparian scrub and forest, and wooded lakeshores. Relatively tolerant of human disturbance and can be found in waterside towns and cities. Forages on the ground in pairs or flocks. Song is a repetitive ‘chew-wee-chew’ and call is a nasal ‘wee’. Native to South America; introduced to the Hawaiian Islands.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.