scaling on the breast. N. g. dulcis has dark glossy blue wings and upperparts and darker underparts than the nominate with heavy scaling on the breast. Distribution and habitat The subspecies of rufous-vented ground cuckoo are found thus: N. g. salvini, from Nicaragua south through Costa Rica and Panama and down the Pacific coast of Colombia N. g. aequatorialis, southeastern Colombia south to eastern Ecuador and into northern Peru N. g. australis, southeastern Peru and northwestern Boliva N. g. amazonicus, Amazonian Brazil south of the Amazon River between the Madeira River and Maranhão state N. g. geoffroyi, eastern Brazil's Bahia state N. g. dulcis, southeastern Brazil from Espírito Santo south to Rio de Janeiro The species generally inhabits mature undisturbed evergreen forest. It can also be found in riverside forest, seasonally flooded forest, and sometimes in dry forest, canebrakes, and thickets. In Central America it ranges in elevation from sea level to . In South America it ranges from sea level in Brazil to in Bolivia. Behavior Movement The rufous-vented ground cuckoo is a year-round resident throughout its range. Locomotion The rufous-vented ground cuckoo is almost exclusively terrestrial, though it may fly low to the ground or into a tree to escape a predator. It mostly walks or runs on the forest floor and makes powerful leaps to catch prey. Feeding The rufous-vented ground cuckoo's diet is mostly insects. It also includes significant amounts of other arthropods; small vertebrates like lizards, amphibians, and small birds; and sometimes fallen fruits. It often follows army ant swarms, peccaries, and monkey troops to catch prey fleeing from them. Breeding The rufous-vented ground cuckoo's breeding seasons vary latitudinally, in Central America nesting in the northern summer and in most of South America in the austral summer. It builds a sturdy nest of large sticks with a flatish cup of dry grass and fresh leaves. It is usually placed in the fork of a tree or shrub about above the ground. All of the documented nests contained a single egg. Incubation is believed to be by both parents, but the incubation period and time to fledging are not known. The latter is thought to be similar to the 20 day period of other Neomorphus cuckoos. Vocalization The rufous-vented ground cuckoo's principal vocalization is "a low, drawn out, moaning coo: ooooooooooooooooop". At army ant swarms they give "a muffled, barking woof call" and also "a sharp,