A discreet medium-sized cuckoo with streaked brown plumage that camouflages it perfectly among dry vegetation. The crown has one dark stripe and one pale stripe. The back is brown with black streaks. The belly is white with chestnut streaks. The tail is long. It measures 26 to 28 cm. A brood parasite: it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, mainly thornbirds and spinetails, which raise the chick as their own.
Behaviour
Solitary and elusive. It is detected mainly by its song, a two-syllable "cres-pín, cres-pín" repeated tirelessly at midday and through the summer heat. It inhabits the woodland, the reed beds and dense shrubby vegetation. The song is so characteristic that its name is onomatopoeic.
How and when to see it
Spring and summer. Its midday song, repeated every few seconds for hours, is unmistakable. Very hard to see despite being heard all the time.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where striped cuckoo has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where striped cuckoo lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiences with local storytelling and a cultural take on the marshes.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Horseback journeys across a network of refuges in Iberá. Multi-day rides with overnight…★ 5.0 - Jurassic Plant - Night Tour
The only carnivorous-plant garden in Argentina and a pioneer in Latin America. A guided…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Guided hiking. Guided visit to museums, historic sites, chapels and trails of the town…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameStriped Cuckoo
- Scientific nameTapera naevia
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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