Little Cuckoo
Piaya minuta
Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCuculiformes (Cuckoos)
- FamilyCuculidae (Cuckoos)
- GenusPiaya (Squirrel and Black-bellied Cuckoos)
- SpeciesPiaya minuta (Little Cuckoo)
About the Little Cuckoo
The little cuckoo (Coccycua minuta) is a species of bird in the cuckoo family (Cuculidae) from South America and Panama. It was formerly placed in the genus Piaya, but was moved to the reinstated genus Coccycua following the discovery that its closest living relatives are a couple species traditionally placed in Coccyzus or Micrococcyx, rather than the other members of Piaya.
This species is about 27 centimetres (11 in) long and weighs 40 grams (1.4 oz). The adult is mainly chestnut brown, with a greyish lower belly, browner tail and white tips to the tail feathers. The bill is yellow, short, and decurved; the iris of the eyes is red. Immature birds are dark brown with a black bill and no white tail tips. It is smaller and the throat is darker than in the squirrel cuckoo.
The little cuckoo makes harsh chek and kak calls. This small cuckoo occurs from Panama and Trinidad south through Colombia to Bolivia, Peru and Brazil; in Ecuador, it has been recorded as high up as 1,900 metres (6,200 ft) ASL. The little cuckoo is found in mangrove swamps, and scrubby woodland near water. It is generally believed to be an all-year resident, but... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Little Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Amacayacu National Natural Park
Squirrel Cuckoo
Piaya cayana
Black-bellied Cuckoo
Piaya melanogaster
Greater Ani
Crotophaga major
Smooth-billed Ani
Crotophaga ani
Striped Cuckoo
Tapera naevia
Pheasant Cuckoo
Dromococcyx phasianellus
Dark-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus melacoryphus
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caroni Swamp | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 2 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 9 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 10 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 11 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 12 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 13 | Cordillera Azul National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 14 | Noel Kempff Mercado National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 15 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 16 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 17 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Little Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Little Cuckoo sighting in Amacayacu National Natural Park, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Little Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Little Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park in our monthly data.