Neomorphus radiolosus
The Banded Ground Cuckoo, *Neomorphus radiolosus*, is an exceptionally large (46-50 cm long, with a stout build and long tail) and strikingly plumaged member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. Its appearance is dominated by a glossy, iridescent black body, dramatically contrasted by broad rufous-chestnut bands radiating across its hindneck and mantle. A prominent black breast band, often edged with rufous, and a rufous belly complete its distinctive coloration, while bright red bare skin around...
This cuckoo exclusively inhabits humid lowland and foothill primary tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests, thriving in undisturbed ecosystems. It typically occurs at elevations ranging from near sea level up to 1,200-1,500 meters.
Its diet primarily consists of large insects such as cockroaches, grasshoppers, and beetles, supplemented by spiders, small reptiles (lizards, snakes), frogs, and occasional small mammals. It forages by pursuing prey on the forest floor, often associated with army ant swarms.
The Banded Ground Cuckoo is a highly terrestrial and secretive diurnal bird, spending most of its time walking and running swiftly on the forest floor. It is renowned for its foraging strategy, often following army ant swarms or joining mixed-species feeding flocks to snatch insects and small ver...
The Banded Ground Cuckoo possesses an extremely restricted and fragmented range, confined to a narrow strip of humid primary forest along the Pacific slope of western Ecuador and extreme southwestern Colombia. In Ecuador, its presence has been recorded across several provinces including Esmeralda...
Endangered
- The Banded Ground Cuckoo is one of only five species in the genus *Neomorphus*, all known for their terrestrial habits. - Unlike most other cuckoos, this species builds its own nest and raises its young, exhibiting full parental care. - It is often referred to by its Spanish name, "Cucúa Terres...