1. This module covers the following four orders: CUCULIFORMES — cuckoos OPISTHOCIFORMES — hoatzin STRIGIFORMES — owls CAPRIMULGIFORMES — nightjars & allies

2. Cuckoos & Allies Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Australia

3. Range: worldwide Morphology/ecology: arboreal or terrestrial (e.g. roadrunner); feet zygodactyl; tail long & graduated; insectivores, often specializing on hairy caterpillars Behavior: many are obligate brood parasites whose chicks are raised by other species Taxonomic notes: hoatzin moved from cuckoos to own order Important families: *Cuculidae: cuckoos, anis, ground-cuckoos (includes roadrunner) *ORDER CUCULIFORMES — Cuckoos — 1 family; 137 species

4. Family Cuculidae: cuckoos, anis, coucals White-browed Coucal Kenya

5. Greater Roadrunner, Joshua Tree

6. Guira Cuckoo, Brazil

7. African Emerald Cuckoo (web)

8. Common Cuckoo, parasitizing reed warbler nest

9. Reed Warbler feeding cuckoo fledgling (web)

10. Cuckoo egg in reed warbler nest

11. HOST CUCKOO Reed Warbler Meadow Pipit Great Reed Warbler Cuckoos lay mimetic eggs

12. Range: South America Morphology/ecology: arboreal; leaf-eater with fermenting gut like a cow; very weak flier, cool spikey crest Behavior: chicks have two functional claws on wings that are used to clamber about branches near nest; live in social groups in forested swamps; cooperative breeder Taxonomic notes: closest relatives unclear, has been varyingly allied with cuckoos, turacos or fowl-like birds Important families: *Opisthocomidae: hoatzin (South America); leaf-eater with gut like a cow, chicks have clawed wings *ORDER OPISTHOCOFORMES —Hoatzin — 1 family; 1 species

13. Family Opisthocomidae: hoatzin Hoatzin, Peru web

14. Christopher Plummer

15. Owls Long-eared Owl, Mercy Hotsprings, California

16. Range: worldwide Morphology/ecology: nocturnal, predatory birds with large head, round or heart-shaped facial disc, & large, forward- facing eyes; hooked beaks and strong talon; very soft plumage for silent flight; feet zygodactyl Behavior: hunt by hearing; round facial discs concentrate sounds and enhance hearing; never build nests but use cavity or old nests of other species Important families: *Tytonidae: barn-owls (heart shaped facial disks) *Strigidae: owls *ORDER STRIGIFORMES — Owls — 2 families; 178 species

17. Family Tytonidae: barn-owls

18. Family Strigidae: owls Great Horned Owl UCSC Campus

19. baby Great Horned Owls, Ontario Great Horned Owl UCSC Campus

20. Great Gray Owl, British Columbia

21. Owls don ’ t build nests: they use cavities or old stick nests Barred Owl in natural cavityGreat Horned Owl in old crow nest

22. Lesser Nighthawk, Mexico Nightjars & Allies

23. Range: nearly Worldwide Morphology/ecology: nocturnal birds with relatively large head, short neck & legs; bill short, flattened, with wide gape; usually surrounded by rictal bristles; insect hunters that catch insects on the wing (except oilbird which feeds on oily palm fruit); soft cryptically- colored plumage Behavior: one or two eggs on ground or simple twig nest; chicks semi altricial (helpless but downy) Taxonomic notes: may be related to owls; owlet-nightjars moved to join hummingbirds & swifts Important families: *Caprimulgidae: nightjars *ORDER CAPRIMULGIFORMES — Nightjars & Allies — 5 families; 113 species

24. Common Nighthawk Colorado Family Caprimulgidae nightjars

25. Pennant-winged Nightjar Web

26. Standard-winged Nightjar Web