Nombre en español: Cuco Manglero

Nombre en ingles: Mangrove Cuckoo

Nombre científico: Coccyzus minor

Canto: Andrew Spencer

El cuclillo de manglar (Coccyzus minor) es una especie de ave cuculiforme de la familia Cuculidaenativo del Neotrópico.

Descripción

Tiene una larga cola, con las partes superiores de color marrón y listado en negro y blanco por debajo. Tiene un pico negro levemente curvado, de color amarillo en la mandíbula inferior. La cabeza y la parte superior son de color marrón. Tiene un anillo periocular amarillo.

Distribución y hábitat

Como indica su nombre el cuclillo de manglar habita principalmente los pantanos de manglares. La especie es nativa del sur de Florida, Bahamas, el Caribe, ambas costas de México y América Central, así como la costa atlántica de Sudamérica hasta la embocadura del río Amazonas.

Comportamiento

Se alimenta de insectos, favoreciendo las orugas y saltamontes, pero también come otros insectos, arañas, caracoles, lagartijas y frutas.

Por lo general, construye su nido a 2-3 metros por encima del agua en un árbol de mangle u otro árbol. El nido es una plataforma relativamente plana de ramas y hojas. La hembra pone 2-4 huevos con los dos adultos compartiendo la alimentación de las crías.

Mangrove cuckoo

The mangrove cuckoo (Coccyzus minor) is a species of cuckoo that is native to the Neotropics.

Adults have a long tail, brown above and black-and-white below, and a black curved bill with yellow on the lower mandible. The head and upper parts are brown. There is a yellow ring around the eye. This bird is best distinguished by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Although the scientific name is minor (meaning «small»), this species is on average the largest of North America’s three Coccyzus cuckoos. Adults measure 28–34 cm (11–13 in) in length, weigh 64–102 g (2.3–3.6 oz) and span 38–43 cm (15–17 in) across the wings.

This cuckoo is found primarily in mangrove swamps and hammocks. It usually nests 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) above water in a mangrove tree or in a fork of a tree above ground. The nest is a relatively flat platform of twigs and leaves. The female lays 2-4 eggs with both adults sharing in feeding the young bird.

The mangrove cuckoo is a resident of southern Florida in the United States, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, both coasts of Mexico and Central America, and the Atlantic coast of South America as far south as the mouth of the Amazon River.

It prefers caterpillars and grasshoppers, but will also take other insects, spiders, snails, small lizards, and fruit.

The most common call heard is a guttural “gawk gawk gawk gawk gauk gauk”. It will also call a single “whit”.

The mangrove cuckoo is generally fairly common in its specialized range. This bird could be threatened by human development of mangrove habitat.