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Digital Tobago |
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Digital Photography |
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By Bob Brent |
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I Home I Digital Photography I Wildlife I About/Contact I Site Map I |
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AVIFAUNA INDEX : |
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Avifauna A - Z : Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
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Order : Cuculiformes |
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Family : Cuckoos (Cuculidae) |
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Name : Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) |
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Cuculiformes are group of birds made up of two distinct families, the Turacos (Musophagidae) made of 20 species found only in Africa, and Cuckoos (Cuculidae) containing around 127 species from around the world. The Cuckoos are an ancient group with no living near relatives, even the turacos are quite distinct with no intermediate connecting species. Cuckoos display a large variation on breeding habits as some are brood parasites, others make regular nests while others make communal nests. |
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Cuckoos, as a group, tend to be forest birds often preferring dense thickets and are more likely to be heard than seen. While Cuckoos are found on every continent except Antarctica, subfamilies are restricted to one hemisphere or the other, for example the crotphafinae is wholly new world and the musophagidae containing 20 species are found only in Africa. Many species are brood parasites. Four genera inhabit the West Indies, all tend to be sluggish and difficult to locate, but quite tame. Most cuckoos are solitary, often furtive birds being inconspicuous even when relatively common, and apart from the communal nesting Ani they do not form flocks or even small groups. |
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Length : 28 - 30 cm ( 11 - 12 in ) |
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Local Names : Rain Bird, Rain Crow, Coffin Bird |
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Similar to the Mangrove Cuckoo the Yellow-billed Cuckoo can be distinguished by it’s lack of any ochracous buff on the underparts, the lack of any black around the eye, and a more obvious yellow lower mandibile. It’s voice is higher pitched and less guttural, and the call ends in a rather deliberate cow-cow-cow-cow. It occupies similar habitat to that of the Mangrove Cuckoo, preffering lowland dry scrub woodland. It’s diet also consits of insects, spiders and small lizards. |