About Coccyzus minor (Gmelin, 1788)
Adult mangrove cuckoos have a long tail, brown upperparts (including the head), and black-and-white patterning on the underside of the tail. Their bill is curved and black, with yellow coloring on the lower mandible. A yellow ring circles the eye, and the species can be most easily identified by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Despite carrying the scientific name "minor", which means small, this species is on average the largest of the three Coccyzus cuckoos native to North America. Adult mangrove cuckoos measure 28–34 cm (11–13 in) in total length, weigh 64–102 g (2.3–3.6 oz), and have a wingspan of 38–43 cm (15–17 in). The species' most common call is a guttural series of "gawk" notes, and it also produces a single "whit" call. The mangrove cuckoo resides year-round in southern Florida (United States), the Caribbean, both coasts of Mexico and Central America, and the Atlantic coast of South America as far south as the mouth of the Amazon River. It occurs primarily in mangrove swamps and hammocks. The mangrove cuckoo is generally fairly common within its specialized range, but it may be threatened by human development of mangrove habitats. In feeding, it prefers caterpillars and grasshoppers, but will also consume other insects, insect larvae, spiders, snails, small lizards, bird eggs, nestlings of small birds, and fruit.
