Cuckoos are birds in the family Cuculidae, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes.
The Cuckoo family includes the Common Cuckoo, Roadrunners, Koels, Malkohas and Anis The Cuckoo order Cuculiformes is one of three that make up the Otidimorphae, the other two being the Turacos and the Bustards. The family Cuculidae contains 150 species, which are divided into 33 genera. The Cuckoos are generally medium-sized, slender birds. Most species live in trees, though a sizeable minority are ground-dwelling. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution; the majority of species are tropical. Some species are migratory, including all those breeding in cooler temperate climates. The Cuckoos feed on insects, insect larvae, and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Some species ie, the majority of Cuckoo species living in Eurasia) are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species and giving rise to the term “Cuckold” as a metaphor. However, most species raise their own young
Anis are one of the three species of birds in the genus of the Cuckoo family. They are essentially tropical New World birds. Unlike some Cuckoos, the Anis are not brood parasites, but nest communally, the cup nest being built by several pairs from 2–6 m high in a tree. A number of females lay their eggs in the nest and then share incubation and feeding. The Anis are large black birds with a long tail and a deep ridged black bill. Their flight is weak and wobbly, but they run well, and usually feed on the ground. These are very gregarious species, always found in noisy groups. Anis feed on termites, large Insects and even lizards and frogs.
The avian genus Quiscalus contains seven of the 11 species of Grackles, gregarious passerine birds in the icterid family. They are native to North and South America.
Koels, Eudynamys, are a genus of Cuckoos from Asia, Australia and the Pacific. They are large sexually dimorphic Cuckoos that eat fruits and insects and have loud distinctive calls. They are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species.
Honeyguides are a family of 16 species of birds in the order Piciformes. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus Prodotiscus.
Cowbirds are birds belonging to the genus Molothrus in the family Icteridae. They are of New World origin and are obligate brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species.
Coucals number about 30 species of birds in the Cuckoo family. All of them belong in the subfamily Centropodinae and the genus Centropus.
