Little cuckoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little cuckoo |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Coccycua
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| Species: |
minuta
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| Synonyms | |
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Piaya minuta Vieillot, 1817 |
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The little cuckoo (Coccycua minuta) is a cool bird from the cuckoo family. You can find them in South America and Panama. They used to be grouped with other birds in the Piaya family. But scientists found out their closest relatives are actually different kinds of cuckoos. So, they got their own special group called Coccycua!
Contents
What Does the Little Cuckoo Look Like?
This bird is about 27 centimeters (10.6 inches) long. It weighs around 40 grams (1.4 ounces). That's about the size of a small candy bar!
Adult little cuckoos are mostly a pretty chestnut brown color. Their lower belly is a bit grayish. Their tail is browner, and it has white tips on the feathers. Their beak is yellow, short, and curves downwards. The colored part of their eye, called the iris, is red.
Young cuckoos look a bit different. They are dark brown and have a black beak. They also don't have those white tips on their tail feathers yet. The little cuckoo is smaller than the squirrel cuckoo. Its throat is also darker.
This cuckoo makes loud chek and kak sounds.
Where Do Little Cuckoos Live?
This small cuckoo lives in many places. You can find them from Panama and Trinidad all the way south. They live in countries like Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil. In Ecuador, they have been seen as high as 1,900 meters (6,230 feet) above sea level.
Little cuckoos like to live in mangrove swamps. They also enjoy scrubby woodlands that are close to water.
Little Cuckoo Habits
Scientists think these birds usually stay in the same area all year. However, sometimes they disappear from certain places. This makes some people wonder if they fly short distances at different times of the year. This is called a short-distance migration.
The little cuckoo is not a rare bird. It is found in many places. Because of this, it is not considered an endangered species by the IUCN. The IUCN is a group that checks on how safe different animal species are.
Family Life and Reproduction
This bird is quite shy. It likes to stay hidden in the trees. It looks for food among the low branches. Little cuckoos eat insects and other small creatures like spiders. These are called arthropods.
When it's time to have babies, the female cuckoo lays two white eggs. She builds a deep, cup-shaped nest in a tree or in bamboo. Unlike some other cuckoos, the little cuckoo takes care of its own eggs. It sits on them to keep them warm until they hatch. This is called incubating the eggs.
