Guira Cuckoo ( Guira guira )
- Sent by Rodrigo Girardi Santiago - 09/12/2006
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44 cm. The tail is long and there is a topknot. The ventral region is white. The wings are dark brown with black and white streaks.
Distribution:
From the state of Amapá to Uruguay.
Habitat:
Open fields, cerrado and caating, also in landscapes modified by man.
Diet:
Feeds on arthropods and small vertebrates.
Reproduction:
The nest may be individual or collective. It is built about 5m from the ground. The female lays up to 7 eggs, but there may be more than 20 eggs in collective nests. In the collective nests there is great competition for food among the hatchlings and few them survive.
Natural history:
When perched it waves its tail, swinging the body in a way that some people say it resembles a drunk person. Lives in groups of 6 to 18 individuals. The social life is very intense with great interaction. The individuals tend to form pairs inside the group. The vocalization is very rich, with more than 15 different songs. Typically a field dweller, it fades away when an open area is turned into a forest.
