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Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 16:04, 28 July 2015 by AndyHurley-86867 (talk | contribs)
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Photo Stanley Jones
Just north of the Village of Arcadia in Cockpit Country, Cornwall State, Jamaica, November 2010

Alternative name: Old Women Bird

Coccyzus vetula

Saurothera vetula

Identification

Photo by the late Jan Van den Broeck
Mona, Jamaica, December 2006

40cm.

  • Greyish upperparts
  • Rufous patch on wings
  • Dark brown forehead to nape
  • Red orbital skin
  • Long, straight bill, black above and paler below
  • Whitish throat
  • Rufous underparts, paler on undertail-coverts
  • Long tail, grey central rectrices with black subterminal band and broad white tip, other feathers black with broad white tips

Sexes similar. Juveniles not described.

Distribution

Endemic to Jamaica.
Generally uncommon in its range.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species which some authorities refer to as Saurothera vetula.
Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo and Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo have been included in this species.

Habitat

Tropical evergreen forest, wooded areas and semi-arid country with trees and shrubs. Occurs from lowlands up to 1200m.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds on lizards, caterpillars, locusts and nestling birds.
Forages in middle storey and canopy of forests.

Breeding

Copulation and courtship recorded in October. The nest is a flat platform made of twigs and lined with leaves. It's placed in a tangle of branches, twigs and bromeliads in a tree.

Movements

A resident species.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334221

Recommended Citation

External Links

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