Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo

Description:

Considered a Threatened Species "The rainforest runner" is a large (48 cm) member of the Cuckoo family, it has a bushy -creste, long tail and neck, the adults are brown, glossed with green on the wings and purple in the tail, and curved beak. Some few year ago we did not have reports of this bird in Costa Rica.we now know we have them back, and specialist have report it in some few areas, a week ago 4 individuals were seen on Pocosol, at the Children's Eternal Rainforest Reserve, now the mecca of all of us in Costa Rica. This bird as well as antbirds usually follows swarms of army ants for hunting all kind of small creatures like insect, spiders, small lizards even snakes,that try to escape from the ants. The cuckoo is one of the birds on top of the hunting hierarchy. The Rufous - vented Ground Cuckoo inhabits the floor of very humid primary forests. On this occasion, I saw three individuals, one juvenile and two adults. A swarm of army ants was the attraction of this unique bird that along with several other species of antbirds were looking for food. The abundance of preys frightened by the ants were a magnet for the Cuckoos and the other birds that, without being disturbed by my presence, followed them; It was extremely interesting and a delight to observe this behavior and species interactions. The Ground Cuckoo was the largest of the birds that were hunting insects that escaped the ants, the birds were not bothered by my presence and allowed me to observe them closely without problems.

Habitat:

Mature and primary rainforest. usually following swarms of army ants.

Notes:

I consider it a rainforest version of a roadrunner, The rainforest-runner IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. many people refers to it as "a ghost in Costa Rica"