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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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