Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira)

 

Guira guira occurs in tropical and subtropical South America east and south of the Amazon Basin and south to central Argentina. In open and semi-open habitats including edges of secondary forests, savanna, scrublands, pampas, pastures and fields with some standing trees, and suburbs; up to 1,200 m. Benefited from deforestation. A shaggy-looking cuckoo with a long tail; total length 36-42 cm; tail c. 20 cm; weight 103-169 g. The head, throat, chest and belly are whitish-buff, streaked; a short orange-rufous crest; yellow to orange bill; dark brown upperparts streaked with white; white rump; dark-brown tail. A gregarious species seen in groups of 6-8; up to 20. Groups huddle together in roosts and during cold weather. Guira Cuckoo breeds communally; several females lay in a single nest; 5-7 eggs per female, up to 20 eggs overall. Sometimes lays in nests of the anis (Crotophaga spp.). The nest is a twig platform in thorny tree or shrub, 2-5 m above the ground. Incubation 10-15 days; many eggs and small chicks are lost to competition and overcrowding. The young fledge after 5-15 days. G. guira feeds on insects and other arthropods, but also worms, frogs, small lizards, bird eggs and nestlings, etc.

 

		D36815 Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira) Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Copyright © Michael Patrikeev All Rights Reserved
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