Neomorphus geoffroyi
Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park on a given day, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 219th most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo in Rincón de la Vieja National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–October and December–February, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo sightings, Rincón de la Vieja National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Chagres National Park (Panama, under 5%) and Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, under 5%).
Same family: Cuculidae
The closest relatives of the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo that you can see in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (family Cuculidae, Cuckoos) are Squirrel Cuckoo (about 40%), Groove-billed Ani (about 30%) and Lesser Ground-Cuckoo (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo is recorded against all the birds logged in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (41 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.
