Bay-breasted Cuckoo
Encyclopedia
The Bay-breasted Cuckoo (Coccyzus rufigularis) is a species of cuckoo
that is endemic
to the island of Hispaniola
in the Caribbean
. It has a length of roughly 45–50 cm (17.7–19.7 in). C. rufigularis possesses a curved bill, a burnt reddish throat and breast, a black tail, and white-tipped retrices
. In the Dominican Republic, it is known locally as "Cúa". "Cua" comes from the call it makes, followed by a "u-ak-u-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak ak-ak" sound.
Its preferred habitat seems to between dry forest and moist broad leaf forest. The birds are common to lowlands, sometimes arid lowlands, and has been reported to be seen in mixed pine and montane rain forest. They feed on insects and lizards. Their breeding period is short, which seems to be related to the onset of the wet season and arrival of cicadas; cicadas are the most abundant food source for the bird. The birds are very localized, and don't spread out often. There are only two confirmed breeding areas, near the villages of Puerto Escondido and Rio Limpio.
from Gonâve Island
, and nearly so from Haiti
.
Population estimates have it between 2,500- 10,000. These numbers are declining due to deforestation for agriculture, over grazing, and possibly agrochemicals. The Dominican Republic has four conservations areas where this and other species can be protected. Only two of the sites are keeping records on the birds condition, Sierra de Bahoruco and Nalga de Maco National Parks. Trend suggestions predict that decline in population may slow down within the next ten years.
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
that is endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. It has a length of roughly 45–50 cm (17.7–19.7 in). C. rufigularis possesses a curved bill, a burnt reddish throat and breast, a black tail, and white-tipped retrices
Flight feather
Flight feathers are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges while those on the tail are called rectrices . Their primary function is to aid in the generation of both thrust and lift, thereby...
. In the Dominican Republic, it is known locally as "Cúa". "Cua" comes from the call it makes, followed by a "u-ak-u-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak ak-ak" sound.
Its preferred habitat seems to between dry forest and moist broad leaf forest. The birds are common to lowlands, sometimes arid lowlands, and has been reported to be seen in mixed pine and montane rain forest. They feed on insects and lizards. Their breeding period is short, which seems to be related to the onset of the wet season and arrival of cicadas; cicadas are the most abundant food source for the bird. The birds are very localized, and don't spread out often. There are only two confirmed breeding areas, near the villages of Puerto Escondido and Rio Limpio.
Threats
The population of C. rufigularis dramatically decreased during the 20th century. It has been completely extirpatedLocal extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
from Gonâve Island
Gonâve Island
Gonâve Island is an island of Haiti located to the west-northwest of Port-au-Prince in the Gulf of Gonâve. It is the largest of the Hispaniolan satellite islands, situated off the mainland...
, and nearly so from Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
.
Population estimates have it between 2,500- 10,000. These numbers are declining due to deforestation for agriculture, over grazing, and possibly agrochemicals. The Dominican Republic has four conservations areas where this and other species can be protected. Only two of the sites are keeping records on the birds condition, Sierra de Bahoruco and Nalga de Maco National Parks. Trend suggestions predict that decline in population may slow down within the next ten years.