Dark-billed Cuckoo

Dark-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus melacoryphus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Santa Cruz de la Sierra

In 3 days ~10%

6 Verified sightings at Santa Cruz de la Sierra
1,623 In all 8 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dark-billed Cuckoo

The dark-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus) is a species of bird in the tribe Phaenicophaeini, subfamily Cuculinae of the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is regularly found in every mainland South American country except Chile plus the Galápagos Islands. It has also occurred as a vagrant in Chile and several other countries and islands.

The dark-billed cuckoo is monotypic. The dark-billed cuckoo is 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11.0 in) long, about half of which is the tail. Males weigh about 42 to 54 g (1.5 to 1.9 oz) and females about 50 to 66 g (1.8 to 2.3 oz). Males and females have the same plumage. They have a gray crown and nape and grayish brown upperparts. Their wings are a darker grayish brown with no rufous. The upper surface of their tail is brown; the underside of the central pair of feathers is brown with black tips, the next pair blackish with narrow white tips, and the rest black with wide white tips. Their face is gray with a wide black "mask" past the eye, which is surrounded by a narrow ring of citron yellow, olive yellow, or gray bare skin. Their underparts are pale buff with the breast somewhat darker than the rest; the sides... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:08

Brazil · 2025

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1060004 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:23

Argentina · 2021

© Niels Krabbe · XC687791 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Canto0:16

Brazil · 2017

© Caio Brito · XC427232 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
2 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
3 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
4 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
5 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
6 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
7 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
8 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
2 Santa Cruz de la Sierra 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
3 Asuncion 🇵🇾 Paraguay
<5%
4 Guayaquil 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
5 Montevideo 🇺🇾 Uruguay
<5%
6 Cordoba 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
7 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dark-billed Cuckoo in Santa Cruz de la Sierra?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-billed Cuckoo sighting in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 183rd most-seen of the 208 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dark-billed Cuckoo in Santa Cruz de la Sierra?

October

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-billed Cuckoo in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Dark-billed Cuckoo?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark-billed 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 Santa Cruz de la Sierra the best place to see a Dark-billed Cuckoo?

Among the best

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Dark-billed Cuckoo sightings, Santa Cruz de la Sierra ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Buenos Aires (Argentina, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Dark-billed Cuckoo live in Santa Cruz de la Sierra?

Same family: Cuculidae

The closest relatives of the Dark-billed Cuckoo that you can see in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (family Cuculidae, Cuckoos) are Guira Cuckoo (about 50%), Smooth-billed Ani (about 40%) and Striped Cuckoo (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Dark-billed Cuckoo sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dark-billed Cuckoo is recorded against all the birds logged in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (6 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.

← Back to Santa Cruz de la Sierra