Cuculidae bird family

Order Cuculiformes · 7 selected species

Browse verified BirdLens profiles selected for complete taxonomy, substantial descriptive coverage, and visual evidence. Open a species to compare its identification notes, distribution, behavior, sounds, and maps.

Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmusSlender, long-tailed bird more often heard than seen. White below and brown above, with black bill. Separated from Yellow-billed Cuckoo by bill color, uniformly brown outer wings (not rufous) and smaller white spots on underside of tail. Feeds mainly on caterpillars and other insects. Found mostly in deciduous woodlands, especially areas with thick secondary growth. Often sits motionless for long periods of time and is difficult to spot. Listen for its song, a repeated series of soft "cu-cu-cu" notes.

Channel-billed CuckooScythrops novaehollandiaeGigantic cuckoo, with a red eyering and enormous pale beak. A mostly pale gray bird, with darker wings and tail. Flies around in the early morning calling strongly, and typically roosts in fruiting fig trees. Lays its eggs in the nests of other species, especially Torresian Crow and Pied Currawong. Spends the middle of the year in eastern Indonesia and New Guinea. Migrates to northern and eastern Australia over the austral summer.

Giant CouaCoua gigasHuge, long-tailed, long-legged bird. Rufous belly and blue-and-pink bare facial skin. Found locally in dry deciduous forest, gallery forest, and spiny forest at low and middle elevations in west and southwest Madagascar. Usually found walking along the forest floor, but will ascend to thick spots in the canopy and mid-story, especially when calling. Sometimes shy, but sometimes much more approachable than typical couas. Most common vocalization is a loud “kwaaa” followed by several lower “ku” notes. Very similar to Coquerel’s Coua, but much larger, with pink facial skin. Similar to Red-capped Coua, but much larger, with a rufous belly.

Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianusA huge, ground-dwelling cuckoo, bane of coyotes. Streaky brown overall with a very long tail and short, shaggy crest. Surprisingly iridescent in good light, with purple and green tones on wings and tail. Usually seen on the ground in dry desert habitats with patches of thick vegetation; sometimes perches on fences or rocks, especially when singing. Runs swiftly after large insects, lizards, and other prey. Unmistakable in most of range; overlaps locally with Lesser Roadrunner in west Mexico. Greater has more streaking on the throat and center of breast, instead of clear buffy on Lesser. Listen for very low-pitched cooing song.

Himalayan CuckooCuculus saturatusVisually indistinguishable from Oriental Cuckoo. Adult male is gray above with a black-and-white-barred belly and a dark gray tail; females usually look similar, but some (known as hepatic morph birds) have cinnamon-brown upperparts with black barring throughout. Intermediate in size between Common and Lesser Cuckoos; distinguished from both species by buffy (not white) under-tail feathers and from Lesser Cuckoos by yellow iris. Song is a series of five notes, with the leading note being sharper and more distinct than the four that follow; compare with Oriental Cuckoo’s series of mellow paired notes. Breeds in a wide range of different lowland and hill forests; also more open habitats outside of breeding season.

Himalayan CuckooCuculus saturatusVisually indistinguishable from Oriental Cuckoo. Adult male is gray above with a black-and-white-barred belly and a dark gray tail; females usually look similar, but some (known as hepatic morph birds) have cinnamon-brown upperparts with black barring throughout. Intermediate in size between Common and Lesser Cuckoos; distinguished from both species by buffy (not white) under-tail feathers and from Lesser Cuckoos by yellow iris. Song is a series of five notes, with the leading note being sharper and more distinct than the four that follow; compare with Oriental Cuckoo’s series of mellow paired notes. Breeds in a wide range of different lowland and hill forests; also more open habitats outside of breeding season.

Long-tailed KoelUrodynamis taitensisLarge cuckoo with horizontal spots and streaking and a very distinctive long tail. Mainly found in native and exotic forests during the breeding season where one or more of its target host species reside: Whitehead, Yellowhead, and Pipipi. Breeds only in New Zealand before migrating to tropical Pacific islands for winter. Difficult to observe up close. Gives a distinctive loud ascending screech “zzhweeet” which can be heard during the day or night as it migrates. There is potential for confusion with New Zealand Falcon; note the Koel’s straighter bill and distinctive long tail.