Cuckoo (Guira)

A scruffy looking bird, the Brazil  Guira Cuckoo has a rufous crest and orange-yellow bill and eye. They are found in open, scrubby areas in southern South America and are one of the species that actually benefits from deforestation.

They will often roost in groups and huddle together for warmth on cold nights. They not only roost in groups but also feed in groups on the ground eating insects, frogs, eggs, etc..

They even nest in groups. Several females will lay eggs in the same communal nest where there might be 10 eggs. Despite carrying the cuckoo name, they are rarely recorded as usisng another species nest.

photographed at Discovery Cove Aviary in Orlando FL