Coccyzus merlini
The Great Lizard Cuckoo (*Coccyzus merlini*) is a majestic and enigmatic bird, endemic to the Greater Antilles and Bahamas, known for its impressive size among New World cuckoos. Averaging 48-54 cm (19-21 inches) in length with a long, graduated tail and a stout, decurved bill, it commands attention. Its plumage is generally olive-gray to brownish-gray on the upperparts, contrasting with a clean white to pale buff underside, often showing a rufous wash on the vent. A distinctive facial patter...
Found primarily in dry broadleaf forests, coastal scrub, pine forests, and dense thickets, often favoring edges and clearings at low to moderate elevations.
Its diet primarily consists of lizards (especially Anolis and Ameiva species), complemented by large insects such as grasshoppers, cicadas, and caterpillars, with occasional small snakes, frogs, and snails.
The Great Lizard Cuckoo is a largely solitary and secretive diurnal bird, often perching motionless and well-hidden in dense foliage, making it challenging to observe. Its primary foraging strategy involves gleaning large prey from branches, snatching insects from the ground, or making short, pow...
The Great Lizard Cuckoo is an endemic resident of the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas, exhibiting no migratory behavior. Its distribution includes the island of Cuba, where the nominate subspecies *C. m. merlini* and *C. m. santamariae* (on northern cays) reside, and Hispaniola, home to *C. m. p...
Least Concern
- Despite its name, the 'lizard' in Great Lizard Cuckoo is no exaggeration; lizards form the bulk of its diet, a unique specialization among New World cuckoos. - Unlike many of its Old World cousins, the Great Lizard Cuckoo is not a brood parasite; it builds its own nest, lays its own eggs, and r...