Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Sylvia Qu, Arne Lesterhuis, David Gill and Bernard Oosterbaan and is used with their permission.
SQUIRREL CUCKOO Piaya cayana
Few birds of the Paraguayan Atlantic forest are as unmistakeably distinctive as the comical Squirrel Cuckoo. Named for his habit of running squirrel-like along branches with his long tail trailing behind, he is a large bird but at times surprisingly secretive. Vocally he produces all manner of weird noises, as a general rule any bizarre sound in the humid forest either comes from a Cacique, a Plush-crested Jay or this fellow!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE3907PH) Adult ventral view, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith August 2006).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE3908PH) Adult dorsal view, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE3909PH) Adult ventral view, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Bernard Oosterbaan March 2008).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE3910PH) Adult, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (David Gill March 2008).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE3911PH) Adult ventral view, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu June 2008).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE3912PH) Adult lateral, Mbaracayś Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyś (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE3906PH) Adult ventral, Chaco (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
VIDEO - (FPAVE3913VI) Same individual as (FPAVE3907PH) (Paul Smith August 2006).
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Piaya cayana
1 (FPAVE3914RE) werr-chickeroo call  recorded PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.