




About the Grey-capped Cuckoo
The grey-capped cuckoo is a species of bird in the tribe Phaenicophaeini, subfamily Cuculinae of the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, as a vagrant on Bonaire and in the Galápagos Islands, and possibly in Panama.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The grey-capped cuckoo is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11 in) long, about half of which is the tail. Males weigh 46 to 56 g (1.6 to 2.0 oz). The species' bill is stout, somewhat decurved, and black with sometimes a gray or yellow spot at the base of the mandible. Males and females have the same plumage. Adults have a slate-gray cap to below the eye. Their upperparts and wings are rufous brown. The upper surface of their tail is black; the underside of the central pair of feathers is black and the rest black with white tips. Voice: The grey-capped cuckoo's song is a "ast series of 6–8 hollow and falling 'cu' notes, often with a slight pause before the last note, e.g., 'cucucucucucucu-cu'." It may be repeated several times during each song bout.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in March · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Pearly-breasted CuckooCoccyzus euleriThe pearly-breasted cuckoo is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11 in) long, about half of which is the tail.
Cocos CuckooCoccyzus ferrugineusThe Cocos cuckoo is 32 to 33 cm (13 to 13 in) long, about half of which is the tail, and weighs about 70 g (2.5 oz).
Dark-billed CuckooCoccyzus melacoryphusThe dark-billed cuckoo is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11.0 in) long, about half of which is the tail.
Learn the Grey-capped Cuckoo for real
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