The cuckoos are
a family of birds, Cuculidae, the sole taxon in the
order Cuculiformes. The cuckoo
family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis.
The coucals and anis are sometimes separated as distinct families,the Centropodidae and Crotophagidae respectively.
The cuckoo order Cuculiformes is one
of three that make up the Otidimorphae, the other two being the turacos and
the bustards.
The cuckoos
are generally medium-sized slender birds. Most species live in trees, though a
sizable minority are ground-dwelling. The family has a cosmopolitan
distribution, with the majority of species being tropical. Some species
are migratory. The cuckoos feed
on insects, insect larvae and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit.
Some species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other
species, but the majority of species raise their own young.