Neomorphus rufipennis
The Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo (Neomorphus rufipennis) is a striking, medium-sized terrestrial cuckoo, measuring approximately 48-52 cm (19-20.5 inches) in length, primarily recognized by its dark, glossy plumage and a prominent flash of rufous on its wings. Its most distinctive field marks include its overall dark brown to blackish body, a heavy, pale bill, and notably bright red bare skin around the eye and on the lores, which can intensify during the breeding season. Taxonomically, it bel...
This cuckoo exclusively inhabits dense, undisturbed humid lowland tropical rainforests. It typically occurs from sea level up to elevations of about 500 meters, occasionally reaching 1,000 meters in some foothills.
The diet of the Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo consists primarily of large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and spiders, as well as small vertebrates like lizards, frogs, snakes, and even small birds, largely captured while following army ant swarms or during independent foraging.
The Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo is a diurnal and predominantly terrestrial species, spending most of its time running and hopping across the forest floor with its powerful legs. Its most remarkable foraging strategy involves actively following army ant swarms, where it preys on insects and small ...
The Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo is a resident species found exclusively within the humid lowland rainforests of northern South America. Its primary distribution encompasses the Guianas, specifically Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, extending into parts of northern Brazil. In Brazil, its range...
Least Concern
- The Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo is one of only five species in the genus Neomorphus, all renowned for their ground-dwelling habits in dense tropical forests. - Unlike many Old World cuckoos, this species is not a brood parasite; it constructs its own nest and raises its young. - Its common name...