English name:         Guira Cuckoo

Portuguese name:  Anu-branco

Latin Name:             Guira guira         

I think this is my favourite bird so far. I call it the Rod Stewart Bird. (Don’t kow why, but for some reason, that was the first thing that popped into my head when I first saw it - maybe it’s the hair) The Guira Cuckoo is a social bird, found in flocks of up to 18 and are most common in open and semi-open habitats of eastern and southern Brazil as well as other South American countries. The main features of this bird are that it has a whitish-buff underparts and rump; dark brownish upperparts; a broadly white-tipped dark tail that is relatively long; an orange-rufous crest; bare yellow ocular-skin; and a relatively heavy, orange-yellow bill. It is generally rather shaggy-looking and gives off a strong pungent odour. It has a total length of approximately 34cm.

The Guira Cuckoo is an opportunistic predator and feeds on frogs, lizards, mice as well as raiding nests of other smaller birds and feeding on eggs and chicks. It’s not an accomplished flier, in fact it’s quite clumbsy, mostly gliding or hopping from one perch to another as well as spending a lot of time on the ground. 

These photos were taken at Praia da Costa (Costa Beach) Vila Velha, in the state of Espirito Santo.