The Pavonine Cuckoo is a forest cuckoo with a rufous head and neck and a long tail. On the ground it spreads its wings and tail to flush insects, then chases and catches them.
The head and neck are several shades of rufous, with a dusky streak behind the eye. The underparts are pale, and the long, broad tail has ornamental feathers around the rump and upper tail.
On the ground it spreads its wings and tail to flush insects from cover, then pursues them. The account says it favors mature floodplain and terra firme forests.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.