Animalia Life

Coccyzus americanus
SUBFAMILY
Coccyzinae
TAXONOMY
Cuculus americanus Linnaeus, 1758, South Carolina. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Coulicou а bec jaune; German: Gelbschnabelcuckuck; Spanish: Cuclillo Piquigualdo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
11.8 in (30 cm); male 2.0 oz (58 g), female 2.4 oz (68 g). All brownish to gray above, and white, rufous, or a combination of gray and rufous below. Tails long, gray with white tips below. Large bill is black above, yellow below.
DISTRIBUTION
North and South America.
HABITAT
From tropical forest to open woodland and scrub.
BEHAVIOR
Migratory; migrates at night.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Large insects, caterpillars, lizards, berries, and fruit.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Monogamous, nest is a flat platform of sticks. 2–5 eggs.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not globally threatened. Has disappeared in areas of western United States because of loss of riparian woodland habitat.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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