{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | image = Coccycua minuta Little Cuckoo; Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 13 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2020 |title=''Coccycua minuta'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T22684379A163877596 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22684379A163877596.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Coccycua | species = minuta | authority = (Vieillot, 1817)<ref>{{aut|Vieillot, 1817}}. ''Coccyzus minutus'' (protonym). Nouv. Dict. Hist. Nat., nouv. éd., 8, p. 275. [https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/18035398 BHL]</ref> | synonyms = * ''Coccyzus minutus'' (protonym) ''Piaya minuta'' <small>Vieillot, 1817</small> | range_map = Coccycua minuta map.svg }}
The '''little cuckoo''' ('''''Coccycua minuta''''') is a species of bird in the cuckoo family (Cuculidae) from South America and Panama. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Piaya'', but was moved to the reinstated genus ''Coccycua'' following the discovery that its closest living relatives are a couple species traditionally placed in ''Coccyzus'' or ''Micrococcyx'', rather than the other members of ''Piaya''.<ref>IUCN (2008)</ref>
==Description== thumb|left|On the road from Atalaya to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge - Peru This species is about {{convert|27|cm|in}} long and weighs {{convert|40|g|oz}}. The adult is mainly chestnut brown, with a greyish lower belly, browner tail and white tips to the tail feathers. The bill is yellow, short, and decurved; the iris of the eyes is red. Immature birds are dark brown with a black bill and no white tail tips.<ref name = fh9103/><ref name= Hilty/> It is smaller and the throat is darker than in the squirrel cuckoo.<ref name = fh9103/>
The little cuckoo makes harsh ''chek'' and ''kak'' calls.<ref name = fh9103 />
==Range, habitat and behavior== This small cuckoo occurs from Panama and Trinidad south through Colombia to Bolivia, Peru and Brazil; in Ecuador, it has been recorded as high up as {{convert|1900|m|ft}} ASL. The little cuckoo is found in mangrove swamps, and scrubby woodland near water. It is generally believed to be an all-year resident, but its irregular occurrence in some areas has led to speculations that it undertakes seasonal short-distance migrations. Fairly widely distributed and not particularly rare, it is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.<ref name = fh9103/><ref name= Hilty/><ref name=Freile/>
This is a shy species which tends to keep to cover as it forages in low branches for insects and other arthropods. The female lays two white eggs in a deep cup nest in a tree or bamboo. Like most American cuckoos, it incubates the eggs itself.<ref name = fh9103 />
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name = fh9103><!---not capitalised--->ffrench, Richard; O'Neill, John Patton & Eckelberry, Don R. (1991): ''A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago'' (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y. {{ISBN|0-8014-9792-2}}</ref> <ref name=Freile>{{cite journal|author1=Freile, Juan F. |author2=Chaves, Jaime A. |name-list-style=amp |year=2004|title= Interesting distributional records and notes on the biology of bird species from a cloud forest reserve in north-west Ecuador|journal=Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club|volume=124|issue=1|pages= 6–16|url=http://www.environment.ucla.edu/ctr/staff/Chaves/Freile_y_Chaves_2004.PDF}}</ref> <ref name= Hilty>Hilty, Steven L. (2003): ''Birds of Venezuela''. Christopher Helm, London. {{ISBN|0-7136-6418-5}}</ref> }}
==External links== *[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=2526 Little Cuckoo videos] on the Internet Bird Collection *[http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=little+cuckoo&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 Little Cuckoo photo gallery] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614033036/http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=little%20cuckoo&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 |date=2011-06-14 }} VIREO *[http://www.pbase.com/csloan/image/75157452 Photo-High Res]; [http://www.pbase.com/csloan/eastern_venezuela_2007&page=6 Article] pbase.com *[http://www.geometer.org/Brazil2006/images/LittleCuckoo.jpg Photo-High Res]; [http://www.geometer.org/Brazil2006/best.html Article] geometer–"Best Bird Photos"
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1267915}}
little cuckoo little cuckoo Category:Birds of the Amazon rainforest Category:Birds of the Guiana Shield Category:Birds of Colombia Category:Birds of Venezuela Category:Birds of Ecuador Category:Birds of Trinidad and Tobago Category:Birds of Panama little cuckoo little cuckoo Category:Birds of Brazil