birds to catch prey fleeing from the ants. It has also been observed following peccary herds, apparently for the same purpose. Breeding The banded ground cuckoo's breeding season is not fully known but appears to include at least March to June. Only two nests have been fully described. They were made mostly of fern leaves with no supporting structure, placed in forks of fairly large branches near the trunks of medium-sized trees, and were above the ground. Each held only one egg. Both parents incubated the egg and cared for the hatchling. The incubation period was at least 13 days and the time to fledging was 20 days. Vocal and non-vocal sounds The banded ground cuckoo's principal vocalization "resembles a deep moo of a cow" that rises and falls and repeats about every five seconds. Pairs and family groups call to each other while foraging out of sight of one another. They also make a dry clacking sound by clapping their bill. Banded ground cuckoos have been observed to mimic peccaries acoustically, perhaps for two reasons. Peccaries are able to defend their herd from predators, so mimicking peccaries would trick predators into believing that peccaries are near. Doing so may also benefit both species by warning the other of nearby predators. Status The IUCN originally assessed the banded ground cuckoo as Threatened, then in 1994 as Endangered, in 2000 as Vulnerable, and since 2009 again as Endangered. It has a limited range and very specific habitat requirements. Its estimated population of between 600 and 1700 mature individuals is fragmented and is believed to be decreasing. "In most of its range, habitat loss and degradation are proceeding rapidly", and it is also hunted for food. References Further reading banded ground cuckoo Birds of Colombia Birds of Ecuador Birds of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena banded ground cuckoo banded ground cuckoo banded ground cuckoo Taxonomy articles created by Polbot