Its name was taken from the sound of its call. There are about 142 species of cuckoo. These birds are widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions. The different cuckoo species come in many different muted colors, with feathers ranging from gray to yellow to cream.
Most cuckoos have a long tail and short legs.
The ground cuckoo is an exception, it has long legs and is a fast runner. These birds migrate to South America during the cold North American winter. Diet Cuckoos are insectivores. They eat spiders beetles, moths, butterflies, caterpillars and insect larvae which they catch with their pointed beak. Some also eat other small animals, like lizards and snakes.