CUCKOOS AND ANIS   -   CUCULIDAE

Little Cuckoo Coccycua minuta gracilis Finca Exito I, c. 20 km north of Puerto Quito, Pichincha province, Ecuador. (S5)

Dwarf Cuckoo Coccycua pumila 20 km south of Calabozo, Guárico state, Venezuela. One of the more distinctive members of the genus, restricted to northern South America. East of the Andes it is found only in the llanos, but west of the Andes in Colombia it is found more widely, occurring in inter-Andean valleys as well as flat lowland areas. (D3)

Dwarf Cuckoo Coccycua pumila 20 km south of Calabozo, Guárico state, Venezuela. A different individual, possibly a young bird as it shows much thes rufous on the throat. (D3)

Ash-colored Cuckoo Coccycua cinerea Palomitas, Salta province, Argentina. This cuckoo is highly migratory. It breeds in the austral summer from southern Brazil to northern Argentina, then disperses northward as far as southern Colombia. (D3)

Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana thermophila El Ocote Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas state, Mexico. (S5)		Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana thermophila La Selva OTS, Heredia province, Costa Rica. (S6)

Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana mesura Old Loja-Zamora road, Zamora-Chinchipe province, Ecuador. (S5)

Dark-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus melacoryphus Mitú, Vaupés department, Colombia. Found over most of South America except for the far south and parts of the very arid west coast. It is migratory over much of its range. (S6)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Perico, La Guajira department, Colombia. This species is a non-breeding visitor to South America during the northern winter. The chestnut wings separate it from the otherwise very similar Pearly-breasted Cuckoo C. euleri. (S6)

Greater Ani Crotophaga major El Paujil reserve, Santander department, Colombia. Well-named, this huge ani is locally abundant along rivers and lakes from Panama to northern Argentina. They are sometimes in shockingly big flocks of a hundred or more birds. These four birds were perched beak-to-beak giving a very odd, drawn out, gurgling call. I'd love to know the purpose for this behavior! (S5)

Greater Ani Crotophaga major La Florida marsh, Bogotá, Colombia. This bird is mainly a lowland species, rarely found above 500 m elevation. Oddly, there is a small population in the high plains around Bogotá, Colombia. This bird was photographed near the international airport at 2600 m. (D3)

Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani Pousada Piuval, Pantanal, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Three birds sunbathing around mid-day. The most common and widespread ani in South America. (S5)

Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani Caiman Lodge, Mato Grosso de Sul state, Brazil. They roost communally, and sometimes you can find clumps of a dozen birds or more. (D3)

Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Catamayo, Loja province, Ecuador. (S6)

Guira Cuckoo Guira guira Caiman Lodge, Mato Grosso de Sul state, Brazil. A common and distinctive bird of open areas south of the Amazon basic. I've always wondered where the name "Guira" comes from. All I can find on google is a town in Cuba and a musical instrument from the Caribbean, neither of which makes sense for birds found in South America. If you can enlighten me on this, please send me an email! (D3)

Guira Cuckoo Guira guira Caiman Lodge, Mato Grosso de Sul state, Brazil. Like anis, Guira Cuckoos are very social and roost communally. (D3)

Striped Cuckoo Tapera naevia excellens Rancho Naturalista, Cartago province, Costa Rica. While singing, Striped Cuckoos often flare their crests and alula feathers, as you can see here. (D2)		Lesser Ground-Cuckoo Morococcyx erythropygus erythropygus Northern Puntarenas province, Costa Rica. I don't remember the exact locality, but it was in dry woodland not far from the coast. Not a "true" ground-cuckoo as it is in a different genus and is not a bird of rainforest. Still, it's a unique, monotypic species, and always great to see. (D2)

Pavonine Cuckoo Dromococcyx pavoninus Intervales State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. A fairly widespread South American tropical forest species, but always scarce and shy. This was one of the very rare occasions where it sat mostly in the open. Too bad about those leaves in the way, which certainly detracted from the quality of the image. (S6)