Cuckoos (Family Cuculidae)

The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The Order
Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the roadrunners,
koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are
sometimes separated as distinct families.

The cuckoos are generally medium sized slender birds. The majority are
arboreal, with a sizeable minority that are terrestrial. The family has a
cosmopolitan distribution, with the majority of species being tropical.

The temperate species are migratory. The cuckoos feed on insects, insect
larvae and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Many species are
brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species, but the
majority of species raise their own young.

Cuckoos are medium sized birds that range in size from the little bronze
cuckoo, at 17 g and 15 cm (6 inches), to the channelbilled cuckoo, at
630 g (1.4 lbs) and 63 cm (25 inches).

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