Common Squirrel Cuckoo
Piaya cayana
The Common Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) is a common cuckoo found in 21 countries, weighing about 102 g. The common squirrel cuckoo is a large and active species of cuckoo found in wooded habitats from northwestern Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay, and on Trinidad.
About the Common Squirrel Cuckoo
The common squirrel cuckoo is a large and active species of cuckoo found in wooded habitats from northwestern Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay, and on Trinidad. The species was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Mexican squirrel cuckoo.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This large and extremely long-tailed cuckoo is 40.5–50 cm (15.9–19.7 in) long and weighs 95–120 g (3.4–4.2 oz). The adult has mainly chestnut upperparts and head, becoming paler on the throat. The lower breast is grey and the belly is blackish. The central tail feathers are rufous, but the outer are black with white tips. The bill is yellow and the iris is red. Immature birds have a grey bill and eyering, brown iris, and less white in the tail. It resembles the little cuckoo, but that species is smaller and has a darker throat. There are a number of subspecies with minor plumage variations.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Common Squirrel Cuckoo can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Common Squirrel Cuckoo?
- This large and extremely long-tailed cuckoo is 40.5–50 cm (15.9–19.7 in) long and weighs 95–120 g (3.4–4.2 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Common Squirrel Cuckoo?
- The Common Squirrel Cuckoo is a medium sized bird weighing about 102 g.
- Where can you see a Common Squirrel Cuckoo?
- The Common Squirrel Cuckoo occurs in 21 countries, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and Ecuador.
- What birds look similar to a Common Squirrel Cuckoo?
- The Common Squirrel Cuckoo is most easily confused with the Black-bellied Cuckoo.
- Is the Common Squirrel Cuckoo endangered?
- The Common Squirrel Cuckoo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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