BIRDS of THE WORLD - An Online Bird Book
CUCKOOS and their Allies
Order Cuculiformes Family Cuculidae
CUCKOOS and their Allies
Order Cuculiformes Family Cuculidae
In addition to cuckoos, the cuckoo family Cuculidae also includes the roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separated as distinct families. The cuckoos are generally medium sized slender birds. The majority are of the cuculidae family are arboreal, with a sizeable minority that are terrestrial. Most are tropical and the temperate species are migratory. The cuckoos feed on insects, insect larva, as well as fruit. Many species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species, but the majority of species raise their own young. Cuckoos are medium sized birds that range in size from 15-63 cm. There is generally little sexual dimorphism in size, but where it exists, it can be either the male or the female that is larger. There are two basic body forms, arboreal species which are slender and have short tarsi, and terrestrial species which are more heavy set and have long tarsi. Almost all species have long tails which are used for steering in terrestrial species and as a rudder during flight in the arboreal species.
The turacos have also been consider part of the Cuculiformes order, but they may be placed in their own order Musophagiformes.
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Genus Coccycua
The three species of this genus are found in the tropical Americas. They are not brood parasites.
Cuckoo,_Ash-colored Coccycua cinerea Found: South America
The Ash-colored Cuckoo has gray head; brownish-gray back; light gray underparts; red eyes; black bill.
Image by: Claudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 2) Fabiorochapina 3) Gustavo Duran - Argentina
Cuckoo,_Dwarf Coccycua pumila Found: razil, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela
The Dwarf Cuckoo has brown upperparts; gray crown; rufous throat, upper-breast; creamy lower-breast, belly.
The Dwarf Cuckoo raises its own young. It builds a flimsy stick platform in a small tree.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Frank_Shufelt in Columbia 2, 3) Alejandro Tamayo 4) Nick Athanas - Venezueal
Cuckoo,_Little Coccycua minuta Found: Panama, South America
The Little Cuckoo has mainly chestnut-brown plumage; grayish lower-belly; browner tail; white tips to tail; bill yellow; eyes red. The Little Cuckoo raises its own young.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Luke_Seitz in Guyana 2) Len Blumin - Trinidad 3) Carlos Simioni 4) Nick Athanas - Ecuador
Genus Coccyzus
These cuckoos generally build their own nest and raise their young, Some species occasionally lay eggs in the nests of others.
Cuckoo,_Bay-breasted Coccyzus rufigularis Found: island of Hispaniola in Caribbean
The Bay-breasted Cuckoo has gray upperparts; reddish-brown throat, breast; black tail with white tips to feathers;
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Dax_Roman 
Cuckoo,_Black-billed Coccyzus erythropthalmus Found: The Americas
The Black-billed Cuckoo has black bill; grayish-brown upperparts; white-underparts; red eye-ring.
Similar to: Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has a black bill above and yellow below; Black-billed Cuckoo bill is all black. Yellow-billed sometimes has a visible yellow eye-ring; Black-billed eye-ring is red. Yellow-billed has more white on the underside of its tail than the Black-billed.
Image by: 1) Big Dipper 2 2) Bob Hall 3) Wolfgang Wander 4) Dave Inman - Pennsylvania 5) Henry McLin - PennsylvaniaSimilar to: Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has a black bill above and yellow below; Black-billed Cuckoo bill is all black. Yellow-billed sometimes has a visible yellow eye-ring; Black-billed eye-ring is red. Yellow-billed has more white on the underside of its tail than the Black-billed.
Cuckoo,_Chestnut-bellied Coccyzus pluvialis Found: Jamaica
Image by: 1) Dominic Sherony 2) Ron_Knight
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Cuckoo,_Cocos Coccyzus ferrugineus Found: island of Cocos off Costa Rica
The Cocos Cuckoo has brown upperparts; light peach colored underparts; dark gray cap; black eye mask; black and yellow bill.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Ken_Harvard
Cuckoo,_Dark-billed Coccyzus melacoryphus Found: South America
The dark-billed Cuckoo has reddish-brown upperparts; black bill; gray head; light brownish-yellow underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Claudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 3) Nick Athanas - Columbia 4) Edwin_Harvey - Argenitna
Cuckoo,_Gray-capped Coccyzus lansbergi Found: Columbia, Peru, Venezuela
The Gray-capped Cuckoo has dark gray head; rufous-yellow underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Juan_Rpo in Columbia 2) Nick Athanas - Ecuador
Cuckoo,_Great_Lizard- Coccyzus merlini Found: Bahamas, Cuba
The Great Lizard-Cuckoo has olive-brown upperparts; white throat, breast; chestnut belly; deeply barred under-tail; long bill.
Image by: 1, 2) Jerry Oldenettel - Cuba 3) Victoria Garcia - Cuba 4) Amy McAndrews- Cuba Charles_J_Sharp.JPG){kind=link}
Cuckoo,_Hispaniolan Lizard- Coccyzus longirostris Found: Dominican Republic, Haiti
The Hispaniolan Cuckoo has black and white banded tail with narrow white tip.
Image by: 1) Ron Knight 2) ZabkaM 3) Ron_Knight
Cuckoo,_Jamaican Lizard Coccyzus vetula Found: Jamaica
The Jamaican Lizzard-Cuckoo's main food is lizard. Ithas grayish-olive upperparts dark gray cap; whitish-gray throat; peach underparts.
Image by: Dominic Sherony
Cuckoo,_Mangrove Coccyzus minor Found: south Florida to north Brazil
The Mangrove Cuckoo has brown upperparts, head; buffy underparts; black mask; brown upper-tail; black-and-white under-tail; yellow eye-ring.
Similar to: Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Mangrove Cuckoo is best differentiated from Yellow-billed Cuckoo by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Both species have black bill above and yellow below. Both have yellow eye-ring.
Image by: 1) New Jersy Birds 2) Rachel Frieze, USFWS - Florida 3) Henry Plank - Saint MartinSimilar to: Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Mangrove Cuckoo is best differentiated from Yellow-billed Cuckoo by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Both species have black bill above and yellow below. Both have yellow eye-ring.
4) Mario Davalos - Dominican Republic 5) birdphotos.com - Costa Rica 6) Mark Stevens - Antigua
Cuckoo,_Pearly-breasted Coccyzus euleri Found: South America
The Pearly-breasted Cuckoo has brown upperparts; pearly-whiie underparts; black and yellow bill.
Similar to: Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has chestnut wings.
Image by:
1) Brendan_Ryan - BrazilSimilar to: Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has chestnut wings.
Cuckoo,_Puerto Rican Lizard- Coccyzus vieilloti Found: Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican Lizzard Cuckoo's main food is lizard.It has a long thin bill which is black on top and yellow on bottom; red eye-ring.
Image by: 1) Peter_Crosson 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Felipe_Pimentel 3) Ron Knight 
Cuckoo,_Yellow-billed Coccyzus americanus Found: The Americas
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo brown upperparts, head; brown upper-tail; black-and-white under-tail; yellow bill, especially the lower mandible; yellow eye-ring.
Similar to: Black-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has a black bill above and yellow below; Black-billed Cuckoo bill is all black. Yellow-billed sometimes has a visible yellow eye-ring; Black-billed eye-ring is red. Yellow-billed has more white on the underside of its tail than the Black-billed.
Similar to: Pearly-breasted Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has chestnut wings.
Similar to: Mangrove Cuckoo. Mangrove Cuckoo is best differentiated from Yellow-billed Cuckoo by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Both species have black bill above and yellow below. Both have yellow eye-ring.
Image by: 1) Seabrooke Leckie 2) Phil Brown - Massachuestts 3) Mdf - Bruce Peninsula National Park, Canada 4) Dominic Sherony 5) Nick Athanas - Columbia 6) Rob_PayneSimilar to: Black-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has a black bill above and yellow below; Black-billed Cuckoo bill is all black. Yellow-billed sometimes has a visible yellow eye-ring; Black-billed eye-ring is red. Yellow-billed has more white on the underside of its tail than the Black-billed.
Similar to: Pearly-breasted Cuckoo. Yellow-billed Cuckoo has chestnut wings.
Similar to: Mangrove Cuckoo. Mangrove Cuckoo is best differentiated from Yellow-billed Cuckoo by its black facial mask and buffy underparts. Both species have black bill above and yellow below. Both have yellow eye-ring.
Genus Crotophaga
The three ani species live in the tropical Americas. The anis are not brood parasites, but nest communally, the cup nest being built by several pairs in a tree. A number of females lay their eggs in the nest and then share incubation and feeding.
Ani,_Greater Crotophaga major Found: Panama, South America
The Greater Ani has black plumage with blue gloss; massive ridged black bill; white eyes.
Similar to: Groove-billed Ani. Greater Ani has white eye; Groove-billed Ani has black eyes.
Image by: 1) Dominic Sherony 2) Arthur Chapman 3) Dick Daniels - Soberania National Park, Panama 4) Nick Athanas - EcuadorSimilar to: Groove-billed Ani. Greater Ani has white eye; Groove-billed Ani has black eyes.
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Ani,_Groove-billed Crotophaga sulcirostris Found: North America (Texas), Central and South America
The Groove-billed Ani has a heavily grooved gray bill; black plumage; shaggy neck; black eyes.
Similar to: Greater Ani. Greater Ani has white eye; Groove-billed Ani has black eyes.
Similar to: Smooth-billed Ani. Groove-billed Ani has narrow grooves in the bill, Smooth-billed does not.
Image by: 1) Hans Hillewaert - Costa Rica 2) Pablo Leautard - Mexico 3) Nick Athanas 4) Cephas - Costa RicaSimilar to: Greater Ani. Greater Ani has white eye; Groove-billed Ani has black eyes.
Similar to: Smooth-billed Ani. Groove-billed Ani has narrow grooves in the bill, Smooth-billed does not.
Ani,_Smooth-billed Crotophaga ani Found: North America (Florida), Central and South America
The Smooth-billed Ani has a lightly grooved gray bill; black plumage; shaggy neck; black eyes.
Similar to: Groove-billed Ani. Groove-billed Ani has narrow grooves in the bill, Smooth-billed does not.
Image by: 1)
Dick Daniels - Royal Palm Reserve, Jamaica 2) Charles_J_Sharp 3) Ron_Knight 4) ) Nick Athanas - BrazilSimilar to: Groove-billed Ani. Groove-billed Ani has narrow grooves in the bill, Smooth-billed does not.
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Genus Dromococcyx
They have strikingly graduated tails, and are among the few cuckoos of the Americas that are brood parasites (the only other is the Striped Cuckoo).
Cuckoo,_Pheasant Dromococcyx phasianellus Found: Mexico, Central America, South America
The Pheasant Cuckoo has brown upperparts; paler underparts. They are brood parasitic.
Similar to: Pavonine Cuckoo. Pavonine has buff throat, upper-breast; Pheasant Cuckoo has pale throat, upper-breast.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Carlos_Echeverria in Guatemala, Andrew Spencer in Brazil Similar to: Pavonine Cuckoo. Pavonine has buff throat, upper-breast; Pheasant Cuckoo has pale throat, upper-breast.
Cuckoo,_Pavonine Dromococcyx pavoninus Found: South America
The Pavonine Cuckoo has dark-brown upperparts; paler underparts; rusty brown head; buff supercilium, throat, upper-breast; white eye-ring. They are brood parasitic.
Similar to: Pheasant Cuckoo. Pavonine has buff throat, upper-breast; Pheasant Cuckoo has pale throat, upper-breast.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dario Sanches - Brazil Similar to: Pheasant Cuckoo. Pavonine has buff throat, upper-breast; Pheasant Cuckoo has pale throat, upper-breast.
Genus Geococcyx
There are two roadrunner species. Their name comes from the habit of racing down roads in front of moving vehicles and then darting to safety in the brush. They raise their own young.
Roadrunner, Greater Geococcyx californianus Found: southwest USA, Mexico
The Greater Roadrunner has streaked dark brown upperparts; dark brown crest with white specks; long dark tail. North America's largest cuckoo.
Similar to: Lesser Roadrunner. Lesser Roadrunner is smaller than Greater Roadrunner and has a shorter bill. If a roadrunner is found in the USA then it is a Greater Roadrunner.
Image by: 1) Alan D Wilson - Borrego Springs, California 2) Elaine R Wilson - Borrego Springs, California 3) Dick Daniels - North Carolina Zoo, 4, 5, 6) Dick - Tuscon, Arizona 7) drumguy8800 8) dmallen321Similar to: Lesser Roadrunner. Lesser Roadrunner is smaller than Greater Roadrunner and has a shorter bill. If a roadrunner is found in the USA then it is a Greater Roadrunner.
4) Note lizzard in the mouth
Roadrunner,_Lesser Geococcyx velox Found: Mexico and Central America
The Lesser Roadrunner has streaked dark brown upperparts; dark brown crest with white specks; long dark tail.
Similar to: Greater Roadrunner. Lesser Roadrunner is smaller than Greater Roadrunner and has a shorter bill. If a roadrunner is found in the USA then it is a Greater Roadrunner.
Image by: 1) Francesco Veronesi - Mexico 2) Sergey_Yeliseev 3) Mark_WatsonSimilar to: Greater Roadrunner. Lesser Roadrunner is smaller than Greater Roadrunner and has a shorter bill. If a roadrunner is found in the USA then it is a Greater Roadrunner.
Genus Guira - 1 species
Cuckoo,_Guira Guira guira Found: South America
The Guira Cuckoo has dark brown upperparts, tail; whitish-buff underparts, rump. shaggy neck; orange-rufous crest; bare yellow skin around the eye; orange-yellow bill.
Image by: 1) Sandy Cole - National Aviary 2) Dick Daniels - National Aviary 3, 6)
Dario Sanches -
Brazil
4) dFaulder -
Buenos Aires, Argentina 5) Dick - the Washington
National Zoo 7) Claudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 8) Gustavo_Duran - Brazil 
Genus Morococcyx - 1 species
Cuckoo,_Lesser_Ground- Morococcyx erythropygus Found: Mexico, Central America
The Lesser Ground-Cuckoo has dull brown upperparts; rufous tips to the feathers and uppertail coverts; ornate pattern on the face with a black mask on sides of face; cinnamon underparts.
Image by: 1) Dominic Sherony - Mexico 2) Bryant_Olsen 3) Francesco Veronesi - Mexico 4) Nick Athanas - Costa Rica
Genus Neomorphus
These neotropical cuckoos are not breed parasitic, they raise their own young. They are poorly known and rarely encountered.The ground-cuckoos have distinct bill clapping.
Cuckoo,_Banded Ground- Neomorphus radiolosus Found: northwest Ecuador, southwest Columbia
The Banded Ground-Cuckoo follows swans of army ants, but is hard to find as it likes to sit very still in dense vegitation. It has banded, scaly-looking underparts.
Image by: 1) Glenn Bartley - Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Glenn_Bartley in Ecuador
Cuckoo,_Red-billed ground- Neomorphus pucheranii Found: Brazil, Columbia, Peru
The Red-billed Ground-Cuckoo has red bill; black crown; cinnamon-buff belly.
Image by:
1) Francis Casteinau 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online-Whaldener_Endo
Cuckoo,_Rufous-vented Ground- Neomorphus geoffroyi Found: Costa Rica, Panama, South America
The Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo has dark upperparts with greenish, bluish, or purplish iridiscence; brown head with greenish-brown crest; whitish to pale tan underparts; long tail, sturdy legs. The Scaled Ground-Cuckoo has been considered a subspecies of the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo.
Image by: 1) Greg Kanies- Panama 2, 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Daniel_Teixeira in Brazil, John_Afdem in Panama 4) Dick Culbert - Argentina 
Cuckoo,_Rufous-winged Ground- Neomorphus rufipennis Found: northeast South America
The Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo has dark upperparts with rufous wings; dark throat; pale underparts with scales; long tail, sturdy legs.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Pete_Morris in Venezuela
Cuckoo,_Scaled_Ground- Neomorphus squamiger Found: mainly Brazil; also northern Bolivia, eastern Peru
The Scaled Ground-Cuckoo has been considered a subspecies of the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo. It has dark brown upperparts; brown head with greenish-brown crest; down-curved bill; blackish tail; scaled breast; tan belly.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jorge_Lopes in Brazil, Joao_Quenatal in Brazil
Genus Piaya
These species have relatively slight bodies and long tails. They are not brood parasitic, that is, they raise their own young.
Cuckoo,_Black-bellied Piaya melanogaster Found: South America
The Black-bellied Cuckoo has a black belly; red bill; gray crown; blue-and-yellow eye-ring.
Image by: 1) Amy McAndrews - Brazil 2) Carol Foil - Columbia 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Joao_Quental in Brazil
Cuckoo,_Squirrel Piaya cayana Found: Central and South America
The Squirrel Cuckoo has a very long tail; chestnut upperparts, head; gray upper breast; blackish belly; yellow bill; red eyes.
Image by: 1) Dario Sanches - Brazil 2) Albert_Michaud - Ecuador 3) David_Cook - Ecuador 4) Nick Athanas - Panama
Genus Tapera - 1 species
Cuckoo,_Striped Tapera naevia Found: Central and South America
The Striped Cuckoo has gray-brown upperparts, streaked with black and bufff; chestnut crest; pale supercilium; off-white underparts. It is brood parasitic.
Image by: 1) Claudio Timm 2) Nick Athanas - Costa Rica 3) Dario_Sanches 4) Barloventomagico.jpg){kind=link}
