Coccyzidae
| Coccyzidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coccyzus americanus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Coccyzidae |
Coccyzidae is a family of birds comprising 18 new world cuckoos, ranging from Canada to Argentina. The family consists of the genera Coccyzus, Hyetornis, Piaya and Saurothera. [1]
Of those whose habits are known, their main diet is insects. They tend to nest in trees and can lay up to 7 eggs (Coccyzus) although Saurothura only lays 2-3. Only one of the family, the Black-billed cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus (Wilson), is known to be a brood parasite. The nesting habits of the genus Piaya, are virtually unknown.
Both the yellow-billed cuckoo and the black-billed cuckoo are vagrants to Europe.[2]
References
- ↑ del Hoyo, J. et al., eds. (1997). Handbook of the Birds of the World vol. 4. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
- ↑ The Birds of the Western Palearctic [Abridged]. OUP. 1997. ISBN 0-19-854099-X.