Bird Album
Lesser Ground Cuckoo
Morococcyx erythropygus (Lesson, RP, 1842)
25–28 cmLength64 gWeight
The lesser ground cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) is a species of cuckoo in the tribe Neomorphini of subfamily Crotophaginae.
Busiest months: January–March and October · Most records: Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
Where and when it's recorded
Lesser Ground Cuckoo has been recorded at 69 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Ojo de Agua TolistoqueMexico480 records
- Zamorano Univ. – Finca Agroecológica Santa InésHonduras363 records
- Zamorano Univ. – Campus Farms and River 740-815 maslHonduras257 records
More places
- Ensenada Lodge [Área General]Costa Rica235 records
- ChacalillaMexico232 records
- Ecoparque El EspinoEl Salvador230 records
- Laguna Villa RoyalHonduras229 records
- Reserva NaturaNicaragua152 records
- Reserva Privada QuelantaroNicaragua147 records
- Playa Santa Maria XadaniMexico139 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The lesser ground cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) is a species of cuckoo in the tribe Neomorphini of subfamily Crotophaginae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Lesser Ground Cuckoo?
The Lesser Ground Cuckoo is about 25–28 cm long and weighs around 64 g.
Where does the Lesser Ground Cuckoo live?
Its breeding range: Middle America: western Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica. It is most often recorded in Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.
When is the best time to see the Lesser Ground Cuckoo?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March and October (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Lesser Ground Cuckoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Lesser Ground Cuckoo as Least Concern.
What does the Lesser Ground Cuckoo eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Lesser Ground Cuckoo in?
It belongs to the family Cuckoos (Cuculidae), order Cuculiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 25–28 cm
- Weight
- 64 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 99 mm
- Tail
- 128 mm
- Bill
- 25 mm
- Tarsus
- 34 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Middle America: western Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuckoos Cuculidae
- Genus
- Morococcyx
More from the family Cuckoos
Guira CuckooGuira guira
Greater AniCrotophaga major
Smooth-billed AniCrotophaga ani
Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostris
Striped CuckooTapera naevia
Pheasant CuckooDromococcyx phasianellus
Pavonine CuckooDromococcyx pavoninus
Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianus
Lesser RoadrunnerGeococcyx velox
Rufous-vented Ground CuckooNeomorphus geoffroyi
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by salomongp. ↗
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