Neomorphinae | |
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A greater roadrunner, Geococcyx Californianus | |
Scientific classification | |
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Subfamily: | Neomorphinae
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Genera | |
Dromococcyx |
Neomorphinae is a subfamily of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. The birds in this group live in the Americas and are terrestrial, meaning they live on the ground. But the two genera, Dromococcyx and Tapera, are more arboreal, meaning they live in trees. Birds in this group are known as "New World ground cuckoos".
All birds in this group are long-legged and long-tailed. They come in different sizes. The species in the genus Geococcyx are around 48 to 56 centimetres (19 to 22 in) long. The smallest bird in this group, the striped cuckoo, is 26 to 29 centimetres (10 to 11 in) long.
New World ground cuckoos are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants. They eat many types of insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars, arachnids like spiders and scorpions, snakes like rattlesnakes, lizards, other birds and bird eggs, small mammals like mice, small, young rabbits and bats. They also eat seeds and fruits.
New World ground cuckoos are found in forests, woodlands and deserts all over the Americas.
Genus: Tapera
Genus: Neomorphus
Genus: Morococcyx
Genus: Geococcyx
Genus: Dromococcyx