Cocos cuckoo facts for kids

The Cocos cuckoo (Coccyzus ferrugineus) is a special type of bird that lives only on Cocos Island. This island is in the Pacific Ocean and belongs to Costa Rica. The Cocos cuckoo is considered a Vulnerable species, which means it needs protection because its numbers are low.

About Its Name and Family

The Cocos cuckoo is part of the cuckoo family, called Cuculidae. It's closely related to the mangrove cuckoo. Scientists once thought the Cocos cuckoo was just a type of mangrove cuckoo, but now they know it's its own unique species. Other relatives include the pearly-breasted cuckoo and the yellow-billed cuckoo.

The name Coccyzus comes from an Ancient Greek word that sounds like a cuckoo's call. The second part of its name, ferrugineus, comes from Latin and means "rusty." This refers to the rusty color on the bird's back.

What Does the Cocos Cuckoo Look Like?

This cuckoo is about 32 to 33 cm (13 in) long, and about half of that length is its tail! It weighs around 70 g (2.5 oz), which is about as much as a small apple.

Its beak is strong and curves a little downwards. The top part of the beak is black, and the bottom part is yellow or orange-yellow with a black tip. Both male and female Cocos cuckoos look the same.

Adult birds have a dark gray forehead and crown, with grayish-brown upper parts. Their wings are a reddish-brown color. The top of their tail is grayish-brown, and the underside is black with wide white tips. They have a narrow, dark "mask" around their eyes, which are surrounded by a ring of yellow or orange-yellow skin. Their throat and chest are a creamy white, and their belly is a rich buff color.

Young Cocos cuckoos look similar to adults but have less color difference between their head and back. Their facial mask is also not as clear, and they have less white on their tail.

Where Does the Cocos Cuckoo Live?

The Cocos cuckoo lives only on Cocos Island, which is about 550 km (340 mi) off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It can be found almost everywhere on the island, from the sea level up to the highest points, which are about 450 m (1,480 ft) high. It lives in many different types of plant areas, including flooded forests, forests along rivers, tropical rainforests, and even tropical cloud forests.

How Does the Cocos Cuckoo Behave?

Moving Around

The Cocos cuckoo stays on Cocos Island all year long. During the time they raise their young, they tend to stay near the edges of the forest. When they are not breeding, they move more into the deeper parts of the forest.

How It Moves

This cuckoo usually takes only short flights. It often moves through trees by hopping along branches or by making short flutters and glides.

What It Eats

Adult Cocos cuckoos mainly eat caterpillars. They especially like the caterpillars of the giant sphinx moth and the Orion cecropian butterfly. Young cuckoos are fed crickets and cockroaches.

The way they find food changes depending on where they are. They might hunt on the ground with short flights, pick insects off plants, or even search inside certain plants like bromeliads on trees. Sometimes, they also eat a type of lizard called Anolis townsendi, which also lives only on Cocos Island.

Raising Young

The Cocos cuckoo breeds during the dry season, which is from January to mid-April. Both the male and female birds work together to build a simple, cup-shaped nest out of sticks. The nest usually doesn't have any soft lining inside. They often place their nests on a small branch of a small tree, usually about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) above the ground. The nests are often partly hidden by leaves.

Both parents share the job of sitting on the eggs and taking care of the young birds. It's thought that they usually lay one or two eggs. The exact time it takes for the eggs to hatch isn't known, but it's probably similar to other cuckoos, which is about 9 to 12 days. The time it takes for the young birds to leave the nest is also not known.

Its Song

As of late 2022, there were very few recordings of the Cocos cuckoo's sounds. Its song is described as a deep, rumbling "Eeh-eeh-eeh-eeh-eeh-eeeh-eeeehh." They sing this song most often during the breeding season, usually between sunrise and noon.

Why Is It Vulnerable?

The Cocos cuckoo is listed as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN, an organization that assesses the conservation status of species. This is because it lives in a very small area, only on Cocos Island. Scientists estimate there are between 250 and 1,000 adult birds, and this number seems to be staying steady.

However, there are some dangers to the Cocos cuckoo. Wild animals like cats, pigs, and goats can be a problem. Cats might hunt the birds, and the other animals can damage the places where the cuckoos live. More tourists visiting the island could also disturb the birds. Climate change is another possible threat to their home.

See also

In Spanish: Cuclillo de isla del Coco para niños