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More About Cuckoos ...
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The Cuculidae or cuckoos are an order of near passerine birds, many of which are brood parasites in the nests of birds of other species.
The best-known example is the European Common Cuckoo. The baby which hatches from the egg laid in another species' nest methodically evicts all other occupants.
The family also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the coucals. The coucals are not nest parasites and, unlike many cuckoos, lay their eggs on the ground. These large tropical cuckoos are capable of taking vertebrate prey such as lizards.
The Cuculiformes order, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos (perhaps better considered as a separate order, Musophagiformes) and the unique Hoatzin, which was previously classified in the Galliformes. The taxonomy of the latter enigmatic species, however, remains in dispute.
These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Most occur in forests, but some are birds of more open country. Most are insect eaters, with hairy caterpillars, which are avoided by many birds, being a speciality.
The group gets its English and scientific names from the call of the Common Cuckoo, which is also familar from cuckoo clocks.
Common Cuckoo
The Common Cuckoo (Cucullus canorus) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, the coucals, and the Hoatzin.
It is a widespead summer migrant to Europe and western Asia, and winters in Africa. It is a brood parasite, which lays its eggs in the nests particularly of Dunnocks, Meadow Pipits, and Reed Warblers.
Female Cuckoos favour a particular host species, and lay eggs which match that species' in colour and pattern. The exception is in the case of the Dunnock, where the Cuckoo's egg has no resemblance to its hosts' blue eggs. This is thought to be because the Dunnock is a recent host, and has not acquired the ability to distinguish eggs.
The chick which hatches from the egg laid in the other species' nest methodically evicts all other occupants of the nest, a behaviour that was first described by Edward Jenner. This is necessary since it is a much larger bird than its hosts, and needs to monopolise the parents' food supplies.
This cuckoo is a greyish bird with a slender body, long tail and strong legs. The females only are sometimes brown, the ?hepatic? phase. It looks like a small bird of prey in flight, although the wings stay below the horizontal.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Cuckoos
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INFO LINKS
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Black-billed Cuckoo
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Black-billed Cuckoo, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Mangrove Cuckoo
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Mangrove Cuckoo, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Yellow-billed Cuckoo, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Great Spotted Cuckoo
Kenya Birds
About Great Spotted Cuckoo Read More
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Yellow-billed Cuckoo fact sheet Read More
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Black-billed Cuckoo
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Black-billed Cuckoo Read More
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Mangrove Cuckoo
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Mangrove Cuckoo Read More
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Yellow-billed Cuckoo Read More
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Black-billed Cuckoo
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Black-billed Cuckoo Read More
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Mangrove Cuckoo
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Mangrove Cuckoo Read More
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Yellow-billed Cuckoo Read More
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Black-billed Cuckoo
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
"The two common and widespread cuckoos of North America are both furtive and retiring birds" Find out the difference in vocalization between the black-billed cuckoo and the yollow-billed cuckoo. Read More
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Cuckoo
Bird Families of the World - Dan Roberson
"There is hardly a more diverse family of birds in the world than the Cuculidae. The variety ranges from parasitic songsters that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds (the classic Old World cuckoo) to large & rangy ground-feeders". Details about the Cuculidae family including pictures and good print references Read More
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Channel-billed Cuckoo
Australian Museum Online
"the Channel-billed Cuckoo is the largest parasitic cuckoo in the world". Description of Channel-billed Cuckoo, with nice pictures and references Read More
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cuckoo
Les Oiseaux du Québec (French)
About cuckoo Read More
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Black-billed Cuckoo
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Extensive species account including range map, call details, 'cool facts', etc. Read More
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Mangrove Cuckoo
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Extensive species account including range map, call details, 'cool facts', etc. Read More
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Extensive species account including range map, call details, 'cool facts', etc. Read More
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Eurasian Cuckoo
Oiseaux.net (French)
Categorized information on Eurasian Cuckoo including habitat, feeding habits, migration information, etc. Read More
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Great Spotted Cuckoo
Oiseaux.net (French)
Categorized information on Great Spotted Cuckoo including habitat, feeding habits, migration information, etc. Read More
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Squirrel Cuckoo
Birds in Suriname
Brief description, pictures, and distribution map for Surinam Read More
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Little Cuckoo
Birds in Suriname
Brief description, pictures, and distribution map for Surinam Read More
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Mangrove Cuckoo
Birds in Suriname
Brief description, pictures, and distribution map for Surinam Read More
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Striped Cuckoo
Birds in Suriname
Brief description, pictures, and distribution map for Surinam Read More
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Little Cuckoo
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More
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Dark-Billed Cuckoo
AvesdeChile.cl (Spanish)
Brief narrative about Dark-Billed Cuckoo Read More
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Cuckoo
British Garden Birds
Description, pictures, identification tips, and sounds Read More
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Cuckoo
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More
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Mangove Cuckoo
Birdwatcher's digest
Picture and brief description of Mangove Cuckoo Read More
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Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
Birdwatcher's digest
Picture and brief description of Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Read More
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Black-Billed Cuckoo
Birdwatcher's digest
Picture and brief description of Black-Billed Cuckoo Read More
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