Photo: Pedro Szekely / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cuckoos & Turacos

Dark-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus melacoryphus

Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus) — Cuckoos & Turacos of South America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Argentina Birds of Brazil Birds of Colombia Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Ecuador Birds of Peru Birds of the United States Birds of Florida Birds of Texas

By family

Cuckoos of Argentina Cuckoos of Brazil Cuckoos of Colombia Cuckoos of Costa Rica Cuckoos of Ecuador Cuckoos of Peru

See what's near you right now

The Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 49.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuckoos
Genus Coccyzus
Species melacoryphus

Where it lives

Colombia and Venezuela south to central Argentina and Uruguay

South America

Quick facts

Weight: 49.7 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Cuculidae
Order: Cuculiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Dark-billed Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Dark-billed Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus) is a member of the Cuculidae family, within the order Cuculiformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Colombia and Venezuela s to c Argentina and Uruguay.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 49.7 g, with a wing length of about 11.6 cm and a tail of around 13.9 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 14.4 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Dark-billed Cuckoo — Call

Recorded by JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Dark-billed Cuckoo?

The Dark-billed Cuckoo is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 49.7 g.

Where does the Dark-billed Cuckoo live?

The Dark-billed Cuckoo is found across South America with a range covering SA Colombia and Venezuela s to c Argentina and Uruguay, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Dark-billed Cuckoo belong to?

The Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.

What does the Dark-billed Cuckoo eat?

The Dark-billed Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Dark-billed Cuckoo migrate?

The Dark-billed Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Dark-billed Cuckoo endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Dark-billed Cuckoo make?

1 real field recording of the Dark-billed Cuckoo — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Dark-billed Cuckoo's range?

The Dark-billed Cuckoo has a mapped global range of about 14.4 million km².