The bay-breasted cuckoo is an Endangered species of bird in the tribe Phaenicophaeini, subfamily Cuculinae of the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is endemic to the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola; it is possibly extirpated in Haiti.
Region
Caribbean (Hispaniola)
Typical Environment
Endemic to the Dominican Republic, with strongholds in remnant lowland and foothill forests, including limestone karst forests and riparian thickets. It uses forest edges, secondary growth, and shaded agroforestry mosaics where dense tangles provide cover. Birds forage from understory to mid-canopy, often in semi-open woodland. Historical records existed in Haiti, but it is likely extirpated there.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The bay-breasted cuckoo is a large, elusive cuckoo with a distinctive rich rufous throat and breast. It is confined to the Dominican Republic on Hispaniola and may now be absent from Haiti. Unlike many Old World cuckoos, it builds its own nest and raises its young. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the main threats to its survival.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, moving quietly through thickets and midstory to forage. It builds a shallow twig nest and both parents participate in incubation and feeding. Breeding likely coincides with the rainy season when insect prey is abundant.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are a series of low, guttural clucks and chucks that accelerate and rise slightly in pitch, interspersed with dry rattling notes. Calls carry well through dense vegetation, especially at dawn.
