The chestnut-bellied cuckoo (''Coccyzus pluvialis'') is a species of
bird in the tribe Phaenicophaeini, subfamily Cuculinae of the cuckoo family
Cuculidae. It is
endemic to
Jamaica.
[HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 6. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v6_Dec21.zip retrieved August 7, 2022]
Taxonomy and systematics
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo was
formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist
Johann Friedrich Gmelin
, fields =
, workplaces = University of GöttingenUniversity of Tübingen
, alma_mater = University of Tübingen
, doctoral_advisor = Philipp Friedrich GmelinFerdinand Christoph Oetinger
, academic_advisors =
, doctora ...
in his revised and expanded edition of
Carl Linnaeus's ''
Systema Naturae
' (originally in Latin written ' with the ligature æ) is one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) and introduced the Linnaean taxonomy. Although the system, now known as binomial nomen ...
''. He placed it with all the other cuckoos in the
genus ''
Cuculus'' and coined the
binomial name
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''Cuculus pluvialis''. Gmelin based his account on those of earlier authors include that of the Irish physician, naturalist and collector
Hans Sloane. Between 1687 and 1689 Sloane lived in Jamaica. In the account of his stay, which was not published until 1725, he described the chestnut-bellied cuckoo under the names "Old-Man" and "Raine-bird" and explained that "It makes a noise generally before rain, whence it had its name of Rain Bird". The chestnut-bellied cuckoo is now placed with 12 other species in the genus ''
Coccyzus'' that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot.
[ The genus name is from the Ancient Greek ''kokkuzō'' meaning "to cry cuckoo". The specific epithet ''pluvialis'' is Latin meaning "relating to rain".][ The species is monotypic.][
]
Description
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo is long, about half of which is the tail, and weighs . The species' blackish bill is stout and decurved. Males and females have the same plumage. Adults have dull brown upperparts, a light gray face and breast with a paler throat, and a dark rufous belly. Their tail is black with large white tips and a purple gloss. Juveniles have a dark brown tail with white tips but no gloss.[Payne, R. B. (2020). Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (''Coccyzus pluvialis''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.chbcuc4.01 retrieved September 26, 2022]
Distribution and habitat
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo is found throughout most of Jamaica. It inhabits mature evergreen forest, secondary forest
A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...
, thickets and brushy areas, and semi-open woodlands. In elevation it ranges from sea level to above .[
]
Behavior
Movement
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo moves to the lower elevations of its range during winter.[
]
Feeding
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo has a varied diet that includes adult insects, caterpillars, lizards, nestling birds, and eggs. It forages mostly from the forest mid-story to the canopy, running along branches and gliding from tree to tree. It usually forages alone.[
]
Breeding
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo's breeding season is usually between March and June but may start in February. It makes a shallow twig nest in a tree at up to above the ground. The clutch size is two to four eggs; the incubation period and time to fledging are not known.[
]
Vocalization
The chestnut-bellied cuckoo's principal vocalization is a " arse 'quak-quak-ak-ak-ak-ak', slow, then accelerating towards heend."[
]
Status
The IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
has assessed the chestnut-bellied cuckoo as being of Least Concern. It has a large range, and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified.[ It is considered uncommon and not well known, and "further research and a proper survey of this species’ population and status are needed."][
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1268564
chestnut-bellied cuckoo
Endemic birds of Jamaica
chestnut-bellied cuckoo
chestnut-bellied cuckoo
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot