The pearly-breasted cuckoo is a species of bird in the tribe Phaenicophaeini, subfamily Cuculinae of the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and possibly Colombia and Panama.
Region
Northern and eastern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs from eastern and southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina north through Bolivia and into the Guianas, Venezuela, and parts of Amazonia; records also extend to Ecuador and Suriname, with possible occurrence in Colombia and Panama. Favors forest edges, secondary woodlands, gallery forests in cerrado, and riparian corridors. It often uses midstory to canopy strata where it forages methodically among foliage. During the nonbreeding season it disperses widely into lowland tropical forests and semi-open habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The pearly-breasted cuckoo is a slender, canopy-loving cuckoo of South America, often detected by its mellow, repeated calls rather than seen. It can be confused with the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but typically shows a darker bill and a subtly pearly-gray wash across the breast. Southern populations shift northward after breeding, turning up widely in Amazonia and the Guianas outside the austral summer.
Temperament
secretive and inconspicuous
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with direct, agile dashes through canopy
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, moving quietly along forest edges and canopy. Builds a loose twig nest in shrubs or small trees; both sexes likely share incubation and care. Clutch size is small, and nesting period is brief, typical of Coccyzus cuckoos.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Gives a series of mellow, spaced cu notes and soft cooing phrases, often accelerating slightly. Calls carry through forest edges, especially at dawn and dusk, and can be the best clue to its presence.
Plumage
Upperparts brownish-olive to gray-brown with a long, graduated tail; underparts whitish with a subtle pearly-gray wash across the breast. Outer tail feathers show bold white tips. In flight, warm rufous primaries contrast with darker upperwings.
Diet
Feeds chiefly on insects, especially caterpillars, beetles, orthopterans, and mantises; also takes spiders and other arthropods. Occasionally consumes small vertebrates such as tiny lizards and will supplement with berries or small fruits when available. Forages by deliberate gleaning along branches and leaves, occasionally sallying to snatch prey.
Preferred Environment
Midstory to canopy in forest edges, secondary growth, gallery forests, and riparian woodlands. Often follows edges and clearings where caterpillars are abundant, including after rains and during caterpillar outbreaks.
