Squirrel Cuckoo
Piaya cayana
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 cayana (Squirrel Cuckoo)
About the Squirrel Cuckoo
The common squirrel cuckoo (Piaya cayana) is a large and active species of cuckoo found in wooded habitats from northwestern Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay, and on Trinidad. The species was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Mexican squirrel cuckoo (Piaya mexicana).
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the common squirrel cuckoo in the fourth volume of his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Cayenne, French Guiana. He used the French name Le coucou de Cayenne and the Latin name Cuculus cayanensis. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson in his Ornithologie. One of these was the common squirrel cuckoo. Linnaeus included a terse description, coined the binomial name Cuculus cayanus and cited Brisson's work. The common squirrel cuckoo is now placed with the Mexican squirrel cuckoo and the black-bellied cuckoo... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Squirrel Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Amacayacu National Natural Park
Little Cuckoo
Piaya minuta
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Squirrel Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Squirrel Cuckoo sighting in Amacayacu National Natural Park, based on 233 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Squirrel Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Squirrel Cuckoo in Amacayacu National Natural Park in our monthly data.