Racing cuckoos

Racing cuckoos
Way cuckoo ( Geococcyx californianus )
Systematics
Class : Birds (aves) Order : Cuckoo birds (Cuculiformes) Family : Cuckoos (Cuculidae) Subfamily : Ground Cuckoo (Neomorphinae) Genre : Racing cuckoos
Scientific name
Geococcyx
Wagler , 1831

Distribution area of ​​the two racing cuckoo species

The racing cuckoos ( Geococcyx , English Roadrunner ) are a genus of the subfamily of Erdkuckucke in the family of cuckoos .

Distribution and characteristics

Racing cuckoos occur in North and Central America . The distribution area of the road cuckoo ranges from the south-west of the USA to northern Mexico , that of the racing cuckoo from Mexico to Nicaragua . They occur mainly in arid and semi-arid open landscapes .

Racing cuckoos are large, slender birds. The path cuckoo grows up to 56 cm, the racing cuckoo up to 48 cm. Both species have remarkably long legs as well as long tail feathers and short wings. There is no such thing as gender dimorphism . The cuckoos usually move on the ground, long flights are avoided. The generic name Geococcyx , which is made up of the Greek words geo (earth) and kokkux (cuckoo) , also refers to this . The cuckoo can run at speeds of 30 km / h.

Racing cuckoos are omnivorous . The diet includes insects such as beetles , caterpillars or crickets , reptiles such as lizards and snakes , small mammals and fruits such as B. of Opuntia .

Both species are not breeding parasites , the young are raised by both parents together.

Systematics

The genus includes two types. Sister taxon is the genus Neomorphus . The German names follow Avibase.

• Way cuckoo ( Geococcyx californianus )
• Racing cuckoo ( Geococcyx velox )

literature

• Johannes Erritzøe , Clive F. Mann , Frederik Brammer, Richard A. Fuller: Cuckoos of the World (Helm Identification Guides). Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd, London 2012, ISBN 978-071-366-034-0 .
• Robert B. Payne : The Cuckoos. (= Bird Families of the World. Volume 15). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, ISBN 0-19-850213-3 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Payne, p. 6.
2. ^ Payne, p. 193.
3. ↑ Erritzoe et al., P. 129.
4. ↑ Erritzoe et al., P. 132.
5. ↑ Erritzoe et al., P. 126.
6. ↑ Avibase [1] accessed on August 11, 2013.

Web links

Commons : Rennkucke ( Geococcyx )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files