Animalia Life

Geococcyx californiana
SUBFAMILY
Neomorphinae
TAXONOMY
Saurothera californiana Lesson, 1829, California. Monotypic
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Grand gйocoucou; German: Wegecuckuck; Spanish: Correcaminos Grande.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
22.1 in (56 cm); male 0.64 lb (320 g), female 0.58 lb (290 g). Slender, long tails and legs; streaked brown above; crested; tail with white tips; bare skin behind eye; black bill.
DISTRIBUTION
Southwest United States and Mexico.
HABITAT
Arid lowland scrub.
BEHAVIOR
Resident, pairs in territory all year. They can fly, but usually run on bare ground.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Opportunistic; insects, spiders, lizards, snakes, birds, rabbits.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Monogamous; nest in an open platform of sticks. 2–6 eggs. Males incubate at night. Hatching is asynchronous (eggs may hatch up to seven days apart).
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. However, local populations’ range is decreasing in urban areas.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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