Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo

Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo

Neomorphus geoffroyi

Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

LCNTVUVulnerableENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chagres National Park

In 3 days <5%

11 Verified sightings at Chagres National Park From 2019 to 2026
170 In all 7 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo

The rufous-vented ground cuckoo (Neomorphus geoffroyi) is a Vulnerable species of cuckoo in the tribe Neomorphini of subfamily Crotophaginae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.

The International Ornithological Committee's Handbook of the Birds of the World adds a seventh, N. g. squamiger, that the other systems treat as the separate species scaled ground cuckoo. In the early 20th century subspecies N. g. salvini was considered by some authors as a separate species but that treatment did not gain wide acceptance.

The rufous-vented ground cuckoo is 45 to 51 cm (18 to 20 in) long, about half of which is its tail, and weighs about 300 to 400 g (11 to 14 oz). Adults have a heavy decurved bill that is pale grayish green to horn-colored at its base with a yellow tip. All subspecies have a shaggy, glossy blue... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Bill snaps1:18

Brazil · 2023

© Marco Cruz · XC843687 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:28

Bolivia · 2022

© Dušan M. Brinkhuizen · XC738794 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:20

Ecuador · 2010

© Andrew Spencer · XC61276 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
2 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
3 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
4 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
5 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
6 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
7 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo in Chagres National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo sighting in Chagres National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 353rd most-seen of the 372 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo in Chagres National Park?

June

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo in Chagres National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Chagres National Park's wettest months, with about 280 mm of rain against 30 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chagres National Park the best place to see a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo?

Among the best

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo sightings, Chagres National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (Costa Rica, under 5%).

Where does the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo is recorded against all the birds logged in Chagres National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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