Mangrove Cuckoo

Mangrove Cuckoo

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The Mangrove Cuckoo is a tropical bird that is found in the United States only in the mangroves along the southern coasts of Florida. In the main part of its range, from Mexico to South America and in the Caribbean, it is not restricted to mangroves, but lives in a variety of lowland habitats.

Description

• Slender, medium-sized bird.
• Long tail with large white spots along edges.
• Dull brown back.
• Underside washed with buff.
• Black face mask.
• Bill black above, with yellow lower mandible.
• Wings brown.

• Size: 28-32 cm (11-13 in)
• Weight: 65-70 g (2.29-2.47 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar in plumage, but females average slightly larger.

Sound

Call a series of nasal, guttural "ahrr" notes.

Conservation Status

Uncommon in Florida and may be decreasing.

Other Names

Coucou manioc gris, Coulicou des palétuviers (French)
Cuclillo manglero (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Mangrove Cuckoo was once thought to be fully migratory in Florida, but, winter sightings are becoming increasingly frequent in all parts of its Florida range. It is silent outside of the breeding season, and consequently becomes almost undetectable.
• Like other cuckoos, the Mangrove Cuckoo has four toes on each foot in a "zygodactyl" arrangement, with two toes forward and two behind, rather than the three-forward, one-back of most other birds.

Sources used to construct this page:

Hughes, J. M. 1997. Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor). In The Birds of North America, No. 299 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.