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Collection  >  Order (Birds)  >  Order Information (Cuculiformes)

Cuculiformes

Cuculiformes, Latin cuculus (“cuckoo”, echoic of the male bird's mating cry) and Latin -fōrmis (“-shaped”), means “cuckoo-shaped”, in reference to the fact that these animals are all cuckoo-shaped and cuckoo-related.

Cuckoos, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis.

Photos

Total species known

147

Species in the collection

3

Species in Hong Kong

11

DISTRIBUTION

Worldwide, absent only from the southwest of South America, the far north and northwest of North America, and the driest areas of the Middle East and North Africa.

SIZE

They range from 15 cm in length up to 60–80 cm.

MORPHOLOGY

Arboreal species, which are slender and have short tarsi, and terrestrial species, which are heavier set and have long tarsi, are the two primary body shapes. The long tails of almost all species are utilized as a rudder during flying in arboreal species and as a means of steering in terrestrial species. The shape of the wings also depends on the lifestyle; migratory species have long, narrow wings that allow for strong, direct flight, whereas terrestrial and sedentary species have shorter, rounded wings that allow for more laborious, gliding flight. They have fairly loose-webbed feathers and slightly down curved beak.

ECOLOGY & HABITAT

Wetlands and marshes with some grass, as well as lakes, ponds, streams, rivers and swamps.

DIET

As adults, they mostly consume a variety of water plants, while certain species also consume fish, mollusks, and aquatic arthropods.

REPRODUCTION

They are typically monogamous and seasonal breeders. Monogamy level varies across species.

REFERENCES

Lovette, I. J., Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2016). Handbook of Bird Biology. Wiley-Blackwell.
Gill, F. B., Prum, R. O. (2019). Ornithology. W.H. Freeman & Co. Ltd.

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