Genus: Cuculus
Description
Cuckoos from Eurasia and Africa.
Most species are slate-grey above and have pale underparts with dark bars. Many species occur also in a rufous morph.
Several species are very similar and difficult to separate in field. The vocalisations may be needed for a positive id.
All species are brood parasites. They feed on large insects, mainly on caterpillars.
Taxonomy
Cuculus is a genus in the Family Cuculidae.
The Hawk-Cuckoos of the genus Hierococcyx are sometimes placed in this genus. Pallid Cuckoo was formerly placed here.
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| C. clamosus | Black Cuckoo | ||
| C. solitarius | Red-chested Cuckoo | ||
| C. poliocephalus | Lesser Cuckoo | ||
| C. crassirostris | Sulawesi Cuckoo | ||
| C. micropterus | Indian Cuckoo | ||
| C. gularis | African Cuckoo | ||
| C. rochii | Madagascar Cuckoo | ||
| C. saturatus | Himalayan Cuckoo | ||
| C. lepidus | Sunda Cuckoo | ||
| C. canorus | Common Cuckoo | ||
| C. optatus | Oriental Cuckoo | ||
References
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334221
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Cuculus. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Cuculus
Pages in category ‘Cuculus’
The following 11 pages are in this category, out of 11 total.
