Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo

About the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo

The rufous-vented ground cuckoo (Neomorphus geoffroyi) is a Vulnerable species of cuckoo in the tribe Neomorphini of subfamily Crotophaginae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.

Most taxonomic systems assign these six subspecies to the rufous-vented ground cuckoo: N. g. salvini Sclater, P.L., 1866 N. g. aequatorialis Chapman, 1923 N. g. australis Carriker, 1935 N. g. amazonicus Pinto, 1964 N. g. geoffroyi (Temminck, 1820)

N. g. dulcis Snethlage, E., 1927 The International Ornithological Committee's Handbook of the Birds of the World adds a seventh, N. g. squamiger, that the other systems treat as the separate species scaled ground cuckoo.

In the early 20th century subspecies N. g. salvini was considered by some authors as a separate species but that treatment did not gain wide acceptance. The rufous-vented ground cuckoo is 45 to 51 cm (18 to 20 in) long, about half of which is its tail, and weighs about 300 to 400 g (11 to 14 oz). Adults have a heavy decurved bill that is pale grayish green to horn-colored at its base with a yellow tip. All subspecies have a shaggy, glossy blue... Wikipedia →