Guira Cuckoo

Guira guira

Cuckoos · Cuculiformes · Common

The Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira) is a common cuckoo found in 7 countries, weighing about 141 g. The guira cuckoo, known in Spanish as the pirincho is a species of gregarious bird found widely in open and semi-open habitats of northeastern, eastern and southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina.

Least ConcernCommonEats omnivorehumanplatform nest141 g

About the Guira Cuckoo

The guira cuckoo, known in Spanish as the pirincho is a species of gregarious bird found widely in open and semi-open habitats of northeastern, eastern and southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina. It is the only species placed in the genus Guira.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The guira cuckoo has a total length of approximately 34 cm (13 in) and weighs 140 g (4.9 oz). The sexes are very similar in appearance, except that the female is slightly larger than the male. Juveniles appear quite similar to adults. The species has dark brown upperparts streaked with white, and whitish-buff throat, breast, underparts and rump. The tail is relatively long and broad, dark brown in color with a white-tip, and the legs are dark gray. The eyes and beak are yellow to orange, with a thin ring of featherless yellow skin around the eye (this commonly fades in captivity).

Where it lives

Recorded as a rare visitor in Peru.

When to see it

The Guira Cuckoo can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Guira Cuckoo?
The guira cuckoo has a total length of approximately 34 cm (13 in) and weighs 140 g (4.9 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Guira Cuckoo?
The Guira Cuckoo is a medium sized bird weighing about 141 g.
Where can you see a Guira Cuckoo?
The Guira Cuckoo occurs in 7 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.
What birds look similar to a Guira Cuckoo?
The Guira Cuckoo is most easily confused with the Fan-tailed Cuckoo, the Black-billed Cuckoo and the Diederik Cuckoo.
Is the Guira Cuckoo endangered?
The Guira Cuckoo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Guira Cuckoo for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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