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A scruffy guira cuckoo with a spiky crest perched on a branch.
Photo: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Guira Cuckoo

Guira guira

A scruffy, spiky-crested South American cuckoo that lives in social flocks that huddle and sunbathe together.

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About the Guira Cuckoo

Guira cuckoos are about 15 inches tall plus an 8-inch tail, and weigh up to a third of a pound. Long, spiky feathers on the head and neck give them a scruffy look. They have sandy-red heads, tan bodies, streaky brown wings and yellow-orange eyes. They live in open scrub, savannas, pastures and coastal dunes in eastern South America, from Brazil and Bolivia to northern Argentina.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Guira guira[1]
Size
About 15 inches tall, plus an 8-inch tail.[1]
Weight
Up to about a third of a pound.[1]
Lifespan
About 13 years in human care.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Insects, amphibians, small reptiles, eggs and chicks.[1]
Habitat
Scrub woodland, savanna, pastures and coastal dunes.[1]
Where it lives
Eastern South America, from Brazil and Bolivia to northern Argentina.[1]
Group life
Flocks of 6 to 8, sometimes up to 20.[1]
Babies
5 to 7 eggs.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Guira cuckoos huddle and sunbathe together every morning.[1]
  • Males dance on the ground to court females.[1]
  • Flock mates preen each other.[1]

Vocabulary

cuckoo
A family of birds, some of which lay eggs in other birds' nests.
allopreening
When one bird cleans another bird's feathers.
crest
A tuft of feathers on top of a bird's head.
carnivore
An animal that eats mostly meat.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

  1. [1] Oakland Zoo. “Guira Cuckoo.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/guira-cuckoo/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Guira guira (Guira Cuckoo).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22684441/93030022 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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