Pheasant cuckoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pheasant cuckoo |
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Dromococcyx
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| Species: |
phasianellus
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The pheasant cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus) is a special type of cuckoo bird. It lives in the warm, tropical parts of Central and South America. This bird is part of the Cuculidae family, which includes all cuckoos. It prefers to live in lowland tropical forests, which are dense, wet woodlands.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The pheasant cuckoo is a fairly large bird. It has a short crest on its head, which is tipped with a rusty brown color. The top part of the bird's body is a dark, sooty-brown. Its belly and chest are a pale, creamy color. You might see small black streaks on its chest.
This cuckoo has a long tail with feathers of different lengths. The feathers in the middle are the longest. The pheasant cuckoo has a unique call. It makes two short whistle sounds, with the second one being higher pitched. Then, it follows with a trill that sounds like "whee! whee! wheerr-rr". It can sing from high branches, low perches, or even from the ground.
How They Live
Reproduction and Family Life
The pheasant cuckoo's breeding season changes depending on where it lives. In Mexico, males sing from March to August to attract mates. In Panama, they call most often from mid-April to July, when the wet season begins.
Male pheasant cuckoos have special ways to show off. They might sing back and forth with other males. They also do a "strutting display." During this display, they raise their head and crest. They puff out their chest feathers and spread their wings a little. This shows off white spots on their wings. They might also make low grunts or clicking sounds.
The pheasant cuckoo is a brood parasite. This means it does not build its own nest or raise its own young. Instead, the female cuckoo lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species. These "host" birds then take care of the cuckoo's eggs and chicks as if they were their own. Some known host birds include certain types of tyrant flycatchers and antshrikes.
What They Eat
The pheasant cuckoo mainly eats insects. Its favorite foods include grasshoppers, cicadas, and beetles. Sometimes, it might also eat small lizards or even baby birds from other nests.
This cuckoo has a cool way of hunting on the ground. It makes rattling sounds by shaking its feathers. It also claps its bill together. While doing this, its body, wings, and tail bob up and down. Then, it lunges forward with quick steps. It pecks through the leaves on the ground to find its prey.
Where They Live
The pheasant cuckoo lives in tropical lowland forests. These forests can be evergreen, meaning the trees stay green all year. They also live near rivers and in tropical deciduous forests, where some trees lose their leaves. You can find them from sea level up to about 1600 meters high.
This bird is found in many countries across Central and South America. These include Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Images for kids
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A pheasant cuckoo perched on a branch.
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Map showing the pheasant cuckoo's habitat.
