Sounds and Vocal Behavior

The typical song is of four relatively high-pitched whistled notes: "fee fee, feefee;" the second and fourth notes are the highest (Payne 2005).  This song is similar to that of the Pheasant Cuckoo Dromococcyx phasianellus, but the song of phasianellus usually contains only three notes, and ends with a long quavering trill; the song of pavoninus lacks the terminal quavering note. The Pavonine Cuckoo often sings at night (Lane, in Schulenberg et al. 2007) and  before dawn (Boesman 1998). In northern Venezuela, singing tends to be  seasonal, with most vocal activity during the early part of the rainy season (from the end of January to the end of May or June), but the song occasionally is given is late as November or December (Hilty 2003). Sings from an elevated horizontal perch (ca 3-9 m above the ground) inside dense cover . During the singing, the tail is pointed down with the feathers of the rump raised, and the feathers of the alula are extended and twitched (Hilty 2003).

Other calls not inventoried.

None reported.