CuCO

Cuco is the common name used for birds in the family Cuculidae, generally known in English as cuckoos. In Spanish-speaking regions, cuco is the common term for cuckoos and is applied to multiple species within the family. The group includes a range of genera and sizes, and many but not all species exhibit brood parasitism.

Biology and ecology

Cuckoos are typically medium-sized birds with slender bodies and long tails, and plumage that is often cryptic. A defining trait of many true cuckoos (subfamily Cuculinae) is brood parasitism: females lay eggs in the nests of other bird species, leaving the host to incubate and rear the young. In some cases, eggs mimic those of the host species to improve chick survival. Not all Cuculidae brood their young; other lineages, such as coucals, build and defend their own nests. Cuckoos occur across a broad range of habitats and are found on most continents, including Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and parts of Oceania.

Etymology and usage

The English name cuckoo derives from an onomatopoeic representation of the bird’s call (cuccu). In Spanish and Portuguese, cuco is the term used for cuckoos and related birds within the family. The word cuco is thus a regional name rather than a separate animal.

Other uses

Cuco is also a surname and a given name in Spanish-speaking regions. It is notably used as a stage name by the Mexican-American musician Omar Banos.