Mangrove Cuckoo
Coccyzus minor
A secretive South Florida cuckoo with a gray cap, dark eye mask, buff underparts, and a long white-tipped tail.
Mangrove Cuckoos live in dense coastal mangroves and tropical hardwood thickets in South Florida and the Keys. Their low, hollow calls often reveal them before the bird becomes visible.
They move slowly through tangled vegetation while searching leaves and branches for large insects. Intact mangrove edges and native coastal woodland provide essential cover.
Habitat:
Mangroves and Salt Marshes, Forests and Woodlands
Area / Range:
South Florida, Florida Keys
Diet:
Eats caterpillars, grasshoppers, cicadas, spiders, small lizards, frogs, and occasional fruit.
Behavior:
Usually solitary and quiet, moving deliberately through dense foliage. It rarely sits in the open for long and often remains high within mangrove branches.
Daytime, Dawn and Dusk
Active Times:
Best time to see:
Late spring through summer at dawn, when repeated low calls carry through South Florida mangroves.
Florida Native Status:
Native
Conservation Status:
Not federally listed, but uncommon in Florida and vulnerable to loss or fragmentation of mangrove and tropical hardwood habitat.
Safety Level:
Low
Safety Information:
Observe without entering sensitive mangrove interiors. Keep pets away from dense nesting habitat.
Benefits to Property:
Consumes large insects and small reptiles while adding wildlife value to native coastal plantings.
Property Concerns:
No meaningful property concern. Clearing dense native vegetation removes the cover the species needs.
Fun Fact:
- Its tail flashes white spots when spread.
- Its call carries farther than the bird is easy to see.
- Florida holds the species’ main U.S. breeding range.
Wildlife Laws:
Protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Active nests, eggs, young, and adults must not be harmed or possessed.
Identification:
Medium-sized cuckoo with a gray crown, black facial mask, buff belly, yellow-based bill, and a long tail marked with bold white tips underneath.