Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) - HBW 4, p. 601
French: Piaye écureuil
German: Eichhornkuckuck
Spanish: Cuco-ardilla Común
Taxonomy: Cuculus cayanus Linnaeus, 1766, Cayenne.
The abruptness and rarity of intergradation between the forms mexicana and thermophila in Oaxaca, S Mexico, suggest that these forms may belong to distinct species, though a few intermediates are known. Fourteen subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- mexicana (Swainson, 1827) - Mexico, on Pacific slope and inland S to Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
- thermophila P. L. Sclater, 1860 - E Mexico (E San Luis Potosí and S Tamaulipas S to Veracruz, Yucatán and Isthmus of Tehuantepec on Gulf coast S to near Tehuantepec City) through Central America to Panama and NW Colombia.
- nigricrissa (Cabanis, 1862) - W Colombia (ocurring E to slopes of C Andes), W Ecuador, NW & EC Peru.
- mexicana (Swainson, 1827) - Mexico, on Pacific slope and inland S to Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
- thermophila P. L. Sclater, 1860 - E Mexico (E San Luis Potosí and S Tamaulipas S to Veracruz, Yucatán and Isthmus of Tehuantepec on Gulf coast S to near Tehuantepec City) through Central America to Panama and NW Colombia.
- nigricrissa (Cabanis, 1862) - W Colombia (ocurring E to slopes of C Andes), W Ecuador, NW & EC Peru.
- mehleri Bonaparte, 1850 - NE Colombia E of Gulf of Urabá to Magdalena Valley and along W slope of E Andes, E in coastal Venezuela to Paria Peninsula.
- mesura (Cabanis & Heine, 1863) - Colombia E of Andes, and E Ecuador.
- circe Bonaparte, 1850 - Venezuela S of L Maracaibo.
- cayana (Linnaeus, 1766) - E & S Venezuela through the Guianas and S to N bank of lower Amazon.
- insulana Hellmayr, 1906 - Trinidad.
- obscura Snethlage, 1908 - C Brazil S of Amazon, from R Juruá E to R Tapajóz and S to upper Gy-Paraná.
- hellmayri Pinto, 1938 - Brazil S of Amazon, from Santarem to mouth of Amazon, and coast of N Maranhão.
- pallescens (Cabanis & Heine, 1863) - E Brazil.
- cabanisi J. A. Allen, 1893 - S Brazil, in C Mato Grosso and Goiás to N São Paulo.
- macroura Gambel, 1849 - SE Brazil to Paraguay, NE Argentina and Uruguay.
- mogenseni J. L. Peters, 1926 - S Bolivia to NW Argentina.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird changing branches in a tree Locality Coba, Quintana Roo State, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico (Southern) (ssp thermophila)
Josep del Hoyo 28 September 2006 4 years ago 21 sec 4.4 -
A close dorsal view of a perched bird, eventually flying away. Locality Babunhol, Brokopondo District, Suriname (ssp cayana)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 20 March 2011 24 weeks ago 23 sec 4.3 -
A wild bird perched in a bush looking around. Locality Sorocaba Zoo, Sorocaba, São Paulo State, Brazil (ssp macroura)
Josep del Hoyo 12 May 2011 18 weeks ago 22 sec 4.2 -
A dorsal view of a bird preening Locality Mindo Valley, Pichincha Province, Ecuador (ssp nigricrissa)
Stefan Behrens 31 August 2005 4 years ago 32 sec 4.2 -
A bird looking down and opening its bill once Locality Mindo Valley, Pichincha Province, Ecuador (ssp nigricrissa)
Stefan Behrens 31 August 2005 4 years ago 25 sec 4.1 -
A bird perched and resting, seen from below Locality Mindo Valley, Pichincha Province, Ecuador (ssp nigricrissa)
Stefan Behrens 31 August 2005 4 years ago 33 sec 4.1
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This bird is perched on a branch.
Locality Nicaragua
Dannie Polley 4 April 2010 1 year ago 4.2 -
Squirrel Cuckoo, jumping between trees. Is a curious bird.
Locality Bosque dos Pássaros, Goiânia, Goiás State, Brazil
wagnermclemes 29 August 2008 42 weeks ago 4.2 -
Squirrel Cuckoo perched on a branch
Locality Blumenau, Santa Catarina State, Brazil
Michael Fritzen 20 June 2009 41 weeks ago 4 -
An adult perched on a branch.
Locality Iguazú National Park, Misiones Province, Argentina (ssp macroura)
Carmelo López 5 November 2011 4 weeks ago 3.8 -
Perched bird seen from below
Locality Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela (ssp mehleri)
Mikko Pyhälä 19 April 2008 3 years ago 3.8 -
On branch
Locality Tandayapa Lodge, Tandayapa Valley, Pichincha Province, Ecuador
Ian Maton 4 February 2011 44 weeks ago 3.6
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Calls. Locality Milagres, Ceará State, Brazil
(ssp pallescens)
Ciro Albano 9 September 2008 2 years ago 3
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