Coccyzus lansbergi
The Grey-capped Cuckoo, *Coccyzus lansbergi*, is a slender, medium-sized cuckoo inhabiting tropical and subtropical dry forests of South America. Measuring approximately 22-25 cm (8.7-9.8 inches) in length and weighing around 35-45 grams, its most striking feature is its distinctive slate-grey crown and nape, which contrasts sharply with an olive-brown back and wings. Its underparts are pristine white, sometimes tinged buffy on the flanks. A key field mark for identification is its long, grad...
This species primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical dry forests, woodland edges, scrub, and secondary growth, often near water sources. It is typically found from lowlands up to elevations of about 1500 meters, occasionally reaching 2200 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, its diet consists mainly of large insects such as caterpillars (including hairy varieties usually avoided by other birds), grasshoppers, cicadas, and beetles. It also consumes spiders and occasionally small vertebrates like lizards or frogs, gleaned from foliage.
The Grey-capped Cuckoo is a largely diurnal bird, often secretive and difficult to observe as it moves deliberately through dense foliage. Its foraging strategy involves slow, methodical gleaning of insects from leaves and branches, occasionally making short flights to snatch prey in the air. Dur...
The Grey-capped Cuckoo is a resident species found across a broad swathe of northern South America, with its distribution centered along the Andean foothills and adjacent lowlands. Its breeding and resident range extends from northern Colombia and Venezuela, southward through eastern Ecuador and ...
Least Concern
- Unlike many Old World cuckoos, the Grey-capped Cuckoo is not a brood parasite; it builds its own nest and raises its own young. - This species is renowned for its ability to consume hairy caterpillars, which are toxic or unpalatable to most other bird species. - Its secretive nature means it is...