Pheasant Cuckoo

Pheasant Cuckoo

Dromococcyx phasianellus

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

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Panama City

In 3 days <5%

5 Verified sightings at Panama City
633 In all 14 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Pheasant Cuckoo

The pheasant cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus) is a species of neotropical cuckoo in the subfamily Neomorphinae of the family Cuculidae. It is native to Central and South America where it occurs in lowland tropical forest.

The pheasant cuckoo is a large cuckoo with a short crest tipped with rusty brown. The bird's upper parts are dark sooty-brown and the underparts are pale buff with small black streaks on the breast. The feathers of the large tail are of varying lengths, with the central ones being the longest. The call consists of two short whistles, the second being of higher pitch, followed by a trill "whee! whee! wheerr-rr". It can be sung from low, medium, or high perches or from the ground.

The breeding season in Mexico appears to be March through August when the males sing. In Oaxaca breeding is from April to June while in Panama calling most frequent from mid-April to July, i.e. from the onset of wet season. There is little information about territorial behaviour. Males respond to singing males with counter-singing or by a strutting display involving head and crest raised, breast feathers puffed out and wings partially extended... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:15

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1162241 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Aberrant0:34

Brazil · 2025

© Miguel Angelo Biz · XC999529 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:33

Panama · 2009

© Ken Allaire · XC60746 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
2 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
3 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
5 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
6 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
7 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
8 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
9 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
10 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
11 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
12 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
13 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
14 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Campo Grande 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
2 Panama City 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Pheasant Cuckoo in Panama City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pheasant Cuckoo sighting in Panama City on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 352nd most-seen of the 363 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 Pheasant Cuckoo in Panama City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pheasant Cuckoo in Panama City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Pheasant Cuckoo?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pheasant 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 Panama City the best place to see a Pheasant Cuckoo?

Among the best

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Pheasant Cuckoo sightings, Panama City ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Campo Grande (Brazil, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Pheasant Cuckoo live in Panama City?

Same family: Cuculidae

The closest relatives of the Pheasant Cuckoo that you can see in Panama City (family Cuculidae, Cuckoos) are Squirrel Cuckoo (about 10%) and Smooth-billed Ani (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Pheasant Cuckoo sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Pheasant Cuckoo is recorded against all the birds logged in Panama City (5 verified sightings), 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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