Cocos Island Cuckoo
Coccyzus ferrugineus
Size: 32 cm.
Weight: 70 g.
Colour Pattern: The Cocos Island Cuckoo (Coccyzus ferrugineus) is rather bright overall for a cuckoo. It is peach-coloured below and brown above, with a dark grey cap, black eye mask with yellow eye rings, reddish-brown wing panels, a long, black tail with white feathers tips, and a black and yellow bill. The young have an indistinct tail pattern. The adult tail pattern is usually attained in 1st winter.
Behaviour: The Cocos Island Cuckoo feeds on various insects, sometimes fairly large ones such as cicadas and sphingidae caterpillars. It also eats lizards. It searches for food by hopping and running after inspecting the (usually thick) vegetation while searching for prey. Their breeding behaviour is unknown, but like the other cuckoos of genus Coccyzus, the Cocos Island Cuckoo spreads and raises its fanned tail during the courtship displays, in order to expose the conspicuous black-and-white pattern of the under-tail. Displays appear to be more active from December/January to late February, when they start to build the nest.
Habitat: The Cocos Cuckoo frequents second growth forest, vine-tangles along streams, Hibiscus thickets, and it is generally found in the tropical lowland forests.
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Coccyzus
Species: C. ferrugineus
Weight: 70 g.
Colour Pattern: The Cocos Island Cuckoo (Coccyzus ferrugineus) is rather bright overall for a cuckoo. It is peach-coloured below and brown above, with a dark grey cap, black eye mask with yellow eye rings, reddish-brown wing panels, a long, black tail with white feathers tips, and a black and yellow bill. The young have an indistinct tail pattern. The adult tail pattern is usually attained in 1st winter.
Behaviour: The Cocos Island Cuckoo feeds on various insects, sometimes fairly large ones such as cicadas and sphingidae caterpillars. It also eats lizards. It searches for food by hopping and running after inspecting the (usually thick) vegetation while searching for prey. Their breeding behaviour is unknown, but like the other cuckoos of genus Coccyzus, the Cocos Island Cuckoo spreads and raises its fanned tail during the courtship displays, in order to expose the conspicuous black-and-white pattern of the under-tail. Displays appear to be more active from December/January to late February, when they start to build the nest.
Habitat: The Cocos Cuckoo frequents second growth forest, vine-tangles along streams, Hibiscus thickets, and it is generally found in the tropical lowland forests.
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Coccyzus
Species: C. ferrugineus