If you picture a classic cuckoo, you likely imagine a solitary, secretive bird that hides deep in the forest canopy and famously abandons its eggs in the nests of entirely different species. Visually, the Guira cuckoo is impossible to miss and instantly stands out with a wonderfully chaotic, “punk-rock” appearance. It features a shaggy, spiky crest of reddish-brown feathers on its head that makes it look as though it just rolled out of bed, contrasting with a dull, brownish-grey body heavily streaked with white, a bright yellow-orange beak, and a remarkably long, broad tail.
Instead of living a quiet, isolated life, these birds are incredibly gregarious and are almost always seen traveling in noisy, tight-knit flocks of up to twenty individuals. They do not hide high up in the trees; instead, they spend a massive amount of their time strutting proudly across the ground, communicating constantly with loud, descending, whistling calls that sound a bit like a harsh, falling siren to keep the flock together as they march through the tall grass. Beyond its striking looks, this bird exhibits a host of bizarre and lesser-known behaviors.
One of the most comical is its deep love for sunbathing; early in the morning or immediately following a heavy rainstorm, the entire flock will gather on a fence or a bare branch, fluff up all their feathers, let their wings droop limply to their sides, and fan out their tails toward the sun. To an unaware observer, they look completely exhausted or even injured, but they are simply rapidly heating their bodies.
Unlike the infamous European cuckoo that sneaks its eggs into the nests of other species, Guira cuckoos build their own nests, but they do it communally. Several females in the flock will lay their beautiful, turquoise-blue eggs, which are covered in a unique chalky white netting, into one massive, shared nest. However, this communal system is incredibly ruthless, as adults will routinely toss out the eggs of their own flock-mates to make room for their own if the nest gets too crowded.
Distribution
Argentina
Bolivia
Bonaire Sint Eustatius And Saba
Brazil
Curaçao
Paraguay
Sint Maarten
UruguayAnything we've missed?
Help us improve this page by suggesting edits. Glory never dies!
Suggest an editGet to know me
Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
