The Pheasant Cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus) is a large neotropical cuckoo found in lowland tropical forests of Central and South America. It features dark sooty-brown upper parts, pale buff underparts with black streaks, and a distinct call that consists of two short whistles followed by a trill.
Breeding occurs from March to August in Mexico, with more specific timing in Oaxaca and Panama. Males engage in counter-singing and a strutting display during this period. The pheasant cuckoo is brood parasitic, laying its eggs in the nests of known host species like tyrant flycatchers.
This insectivorous bird feeds on grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, and occasionally small lizards and nestlings. It forages by making rattling sounds and pecking in leaf litter. Its natural habitat includes the understorey of tropical forests, found across various countries from Argentina to Venezuela.
