Cuckoos- ORDER: Cuculiformes
- FAMILY: Cuculidae
Basic Description
Like other cuckoos, the secretive Mangrove Cuckoo is a quiet and still presence as it watches for insects and small lizard prey. This slender, long-tailed bird nests in tangled mangrove forests of southern Florida; in its large Caribbean and Latin American range it occurs in lowland and foothill rainforests as well. A mostly brown bird with a yellow or gray ring around the eye, it resembles the Yellow-billed Cuckoo but has a black mask and a warm buff belly.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
Finding a Mangrove Cuckoo requires patience, as they tend to skulk in dense vegetation and rarely sit in the open. In South Florida, where they are scarce at best, Mangrove Cuckoos are most vocal in early spring. Walking through their habitat and listening for song (which they sometimes deliver very quietly) is the best way to see this species.
Other Names
- Cuclillo de Manglar (Spanish)
- Coulicou manioc (French)