Chestnut-bellied cuckoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chestnut-bellied cuckoo |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Coccyzus |
| Species: |
C. pluvialis
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| Binomial name | |
| Coccyzus pluvialis (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
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| Synonyms | |
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Hyetornis pluvialis |
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The chestnut-bellied cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis) is a special type of bird. It belongs to the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. This bird is only found in Jamaica, which means it is endemic to that island.
Contents
About the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
How it Got its Name
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo was first officially described in 1788. A German scientist named Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave it the scientific name Cuculus pluvialis. He based his description on notes from earlier explorers.
One of these explorers was Hans Sloane, an Irish doctor. He lived in Jamaica from 1687 to 1689. Sloane called this bird the "Old-Man" or "Raine-bird." He noted that it often makes noise right before it rains. This is why it got the name "Rain Bird." The word pluvialis in its scientific name is Latin for "relating to rain."
Today, the chestnut-bellied cuckoo is part of the Coccyzus group of birds. This group name comes from an old Greek word, kokkuzō. It means "to cry cuckoo."
What Does it Look Like?
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo is a fairly large bird. It measures about 48 to 56 cm (19 to 22 in) long. Half of its length is its long tail! It usually weighs between 130 to 189 g (4.6 to 6.7 oz).
Both male and female cuckoos look the same. They have dull brown feathers on their backs. Their faces and chests are light gray, with a lighter throat. The most noticeable part is their dark reddish-brown belly, which gives them their name. Their tail is black with big white tips. Young cuckoos have a dark brown tail with white tips, but it's not as shiny. Their bill (beak) is blackish, strong, and curves downwards.
Where Does it Live?
You can find the chestnut-bellied cuckoo almost everywhere in Jamaica. It likes to live in older evergreen forests. It also lives in newer forests, thick bushes, and open woodlands. These birds can be found from sea level all the way up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) high in the mountains.
Cuckoo Behavior
Seasonal Movements
During the winter months, the chestnut-bellied cuckoo moves to lower areas. It prefers the warmer, lower elevations of its home range.
What Does it Eat?
This cuckoo eats many different things. Its diet includes adult insects and caterpillars. It also eats lizards, baby birds, and even eggs!
The cuckoo usually looks for food in the middle and top parts of the forest trees. It runs along branches and glides from one tree to another. These birds usually hunt for food by themselves.
How it Raises its Young
The breeding season for the chestnut-bellied cuckoo is usually from March to June. Sometimes, it might start as early as February.
The cuckoo builds a simple nest made of twigs. It places its nest in a tree, up to 10 m (33 ft) above the ground. A female cuckoo usually lays two to four eggs. Scientists are still learning about how long the eggs take to hatch. They also don't know how long it takes for the young birds to leave the nest.
What Does it Sound Like?
The main sound the chestnut-bellied cuckoo makes is a rough "quak-quak-ak-ak-ak-ak." It starts slowly and then gets faster towards the end. This call is often heard before rain.
Cuckoo Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) keeps track of animal populations. They have listed the chestnut-bellied cuckoo as "Least Concern." This means they are not worried about it becoming endangered soon.
The bird lives in a large area, and its population seems to be stable. We don't know the exact number of these birds. No immediate dangers have been found for them. However, it is considered uncommon and not much is known about it. More research and surveys are needed to understand its population better.
 | Aurelia Browder |
 | Nannie Helen Burroughs |
 | Michelle Alexander |
