Neomorphinae

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".

Neomorphinae
Roadrunner2007.jpg
A greater roadrunner, Geococcyx Californianus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
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Subfamily:
Neomorphinae
Genera

Dromococcyx
Geococcyx
Morococcyx
Neomorphus
Tapera

Description

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.

Feeding

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.

Habitat

New World ground cuckoos are found in forests, woodlands and deserts all over the Americas.

Genera

Genus: Tapera

Genus: Neomorphus

Genus: Morococcyx

Genus: Geococcyx

Genus: Dromococcyx

Neomorphinae Media

References