- Scientific Name: Piaya cayana
- Name in Spanish (Mexico): Cuclillo Canelo
- Name in Mayan: Ki’ip choj
- ABA 4-Letter Bird Code: SQCU
- Family: Cuculidae – Cuckoos and Allies
- Order: Cuculiformes – Cuckoos and Allies
About This Bird
The Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) is a common bird species found throughout Central and South America, including the Yucatan Peninsula. These birds are medium-sized, measuring about 40-45 cm (17″) in length and weighing around 150-200 grams (6 oz.). They have a distinctive long tail and a curved beak that is used to catch insects and other small prey.
Squirrel cuckoos are found in a variety of forested habitats, including deciduous and evergreen forests, as well as secondary growth and edge habitats. They are typically found in pairs or small groups and are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Their diet primarily consists of insects, spiders, and small vertebrates, which they forage for in the trees and shrubs.
Breeding season for squirrel cuckoos in the Yucatan Peninsula typically occurs from April to August. Females lay 2-3 eggs in a nest made of twigs and placed in the fork of a tree. Both parents share incubation and care for the young. Squirrel cuckoos are considered to be of least concern in terms of conservation status, although habitat destruction and fragmentation may pose a threat to their populations in the future.
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