ANIMALS – BIRDS – CUCKOOS – GUIRA CUCKOO (GUIRA GUIRA)

Animals - Birds - Cuckoos

Guira cuckoo (Guira guira)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Cuculiformes
Family : Cuculidae
Genus : Guira
Species : G. Guira

Description:

The Guira cuckoo (Guira guira) is a social, non-parasitic cuckoo found widely in open and semi-open habitats of eastern and southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and north-eastern Argentina. It is monotypic within the genus Guira, and is related to the anis.

The species has 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 (commonly fades in captivity), and a relatively heavy, orange-yellow bill. It is generally rather shaggy-looking and has a total length of approximately 34 cm (13 in). Like other members of the subfamily Crotophaginae, the guira cuckoo gives off a strong, pungent odour.

The guira cuckoo is arboreal, but can frequently be seen on the ground, usually in flocks of 6 to 18 individuals. It is sometimes seen with other birds such as the smooth-billed ani (Crotophaga ani) whose behavior is similar.

Binomial Name:

Name : Guira guira
Taxonomist : Johann Friedrich Gmelin (Tübingen - Germany)
Year : 1788
Subspecies : 5 (Rufus, Albogularis, Commersoni, Paraguayae, Schumacheri)
Synonyms : None or not data available

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status : Least Concern

Has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001) conservation dependent.

Philatelic Issues

2010 - Uruguay - Stamp 3 of 4, from Spring Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: September 30th, 2010
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Stamp from Series of 4 Stamps
Value: UYP 12

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated