Black-bellied Cuckoo (Piaya melanogaster)

Identification & Behavior: ~39 cm (15.3 in). The Black-bellied Cuckoo is mostly reddish with a dusky lower belly. The cap is distinctively gray. The bill is bright red. The iris is reddish. It shows a spot of bare yellow skin in front of the eye. It has a very long dark-chestnut tail with broad white tips. It is similar to the Squirrel Cuckoo but is distinguished by having a bright red bill, distinctive gray cap, and the spot of bare yellow skin in front of the eye.

Status: The Black-bellied Cuckoo is uncommon to rare in the canopy or Terra Firme forest in Amazonia. It is known to range to elevations of up to 900 m along the foothills of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Cuco de Vientre Negro.

Sub-species: Black-bellied Cuckoo (Piaya melanogaster), Vieillot, 1817.

Meaning of Name: Piaya: Creole, Piaye= a native name for birds of the family Cuculidae. melanogaster:  Gr. melas= black and gaster= stomach.

See more of the Family Cuculidae