Cuckoos, in general, derive their name from the sound of their calls. Tapera naevia is the only cuckoo in its range with a striped back, and is therefore commonly called the striped cuckoo.
Striped cuckoos have three distinct song types. Each song type is used to communicate with neighbors, mates, and intruders. Furthermore, each song type is used to communicate its "readiness to interact" to its neighbor, mate, or intruder. One song is bisyllabic; the second syllable has a higher pitch and is accented. Another song consists of five to six syllables; the last syllable has a lower pitch that the first four to five. A third song consists of four short syllables; again, the last syllable has a lower pitch, and is much shorter, than the first three. Songs are whistled, and repeated for minutes at five to ten second increments. During a song, striped cuckoos raise and lower their crest, and may lower their wings. Songs are occasionally sung in duets (commonly by mating birds), and striped cuckoos will respond to birds that imitate their songs.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic
Other Communication Modes: duets
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Tapera naevia appears to be expanding its range, most likely in response to recent deforestation.
US Migratory Bird Act: no special status
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known adverse affects of Tapera naevia on humans.
There are no known positive effects of Tapera naevia on humans.
Striped cuckoos are interspecific brood parasites with over 20 host species, listed below. The first 17 listed are well-documented hosts while the last four are probable or minor hosts.
Striped cuckoo parasitism is believed to have a negative effect on both the nests and fecundity of host species. In other cuckoo species, the young cuckoo will remove the eggs of the host from the nest or kill the host's young, forcing the host to devote its attention solely to the young cuckoo.
Ecosystem Impact: parasite
Species Used as Host:
There is little available information regarding the food habits of striped cuckoos. They eat insects (Insecta), mostly grasshoppers (Orthoptera). Other cuckoo species are omnivores, also eating insects, in addition to spiders (Araneae), fruits, seeds, and even small vertebrates.
Animal Foods: insects
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
Tapera naevia, commonly known as the striped cuckoo, is found from southern Mexico to southwestern Ecuador, as well as in northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
Striped cuckoos occupy tropical habitats, which commonly include grasslands and scrub forests from sea level to 1400 m in elevation. These birds are usually found near the edge of forests, in areas with scattered shrubs and trees. Less commonly they are round in tropical bogs.
Range elevation: 0 to 1400 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; scrub forest
Wetlands: bog
There is little available information regarding the lifespan striped cuckoos and other cuckoos.
Striped cuckoos are average sized cuckoos, with an average mass of 55 g, and approximately 30 cm in length. Average wingspan of males is 112.4 mm (range from 108 to 117.5 mm), and of females is 108.2 mm (raange from 104 to 112 mm). Striped cuckoos have relatively long tails, averaging 157.7 mm in males and 146.2 mm in females.
At hatching striped cuckoos are featherless, with pink skin and a yellow-orange gape. Feathers are grown after approximately ten days. Immature striped cuckoos are characterized by a black head, black markings on the neck, wavy black markings on the underside, and yellow spots on the feathers of the upper body. Adults are overall brown in color, and are distinguished by a shaggy crest and black streaks along the back. The feathers of the adult's long tail are gray-brown and white tipped. The adult also has abnormally large, dark alulas feathers (the alulas is a joint in the middle of the bird's wing), giving it the common name "four-winged cuckoo." Adult females and males are nearly identical in appearance.
Average mass: 55 g.
Average length: 30 cm.
Range wingspan: 99 to 112 mm.
Average wingspan: 108 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike; male larger
There is little available information regarding predation on striped cuckoos. When striped cuckoos are frightened or disturbed, they will flash their alulas.
There is little available information regarding reproduction in Tapera naevia and other cuckoo species. Striped cuckoos use songs to attract mates, in other cuckoo species one female will mate "at random with males." Striped cuckoos are brood parasites (neither males nor females provide parental care to offspring) suggesting that they may be promiscuous.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
There is little available information regarding general reproductive behavior in Tapera naevia. Although records are limited, breeding and reproduction have been observed from January until October, suggesting that striped cuckoos breed nearly year round. The number of offspring produced each breeding season is unknown; however, other cuckoo species produce approximately one to five eggs each breeding season. The incubation period for striped cuckoo eggs is, on average, 15 days. The young are fledged and leave the nest after 18 to 20 days.
Striped cuckoos are brood parasites; adult females lay their eggs in the nest of another bird species. They lay their eggs just after dawn, and usually choose host species with covered or dome shaped nests. The host species is "tricked" into caring extensively for young that are not its own. Striped cuckoos have more than 20 documented host species. They are obligate brood parasites, they do not build nests or incubate eggs. After hatching, young Tapera naevia nestlings remain in the nest for approximately 18 to 20 days, after which they fledge.
Breeding interval: The striped cuckoo breeding interval is not known.
Breeding season: Striped cuckoos may breed throughout much of the year, from January through October.
Average time to hatching: 15 days.
Range fledging age: 18 to 20 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Striped cuckoos are brood parasites; there is no post-egg laying parental investment.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female)
The striped cuckoo (Tapera naevia) is a near-passerine bird, the only member of the genus Tapera. This resident cuckoo is found from Mexico and Trinidad south to Bolivia and Argentina.
The striped cuckoo is found in open country with trees or shrubs, and the edges of mangrove forests. It is among the very few brood parasitic cuckoos of the Americas (only other are Dromococcyx), and typical hosts are spinetails, but often also wrens, and other species with domed nests. The female cuckoo lays one, sometimes two, white or bluish eggs in the host's large stick nest. The eggs hatch in 15 days, with a further 18 days until the cuckoo fledges. The young spinetails disappear.
This species is about 27 cm (11 in) long and weighs 40 g (1.4 oz). The adult is mainly grey-brown above, streaked with black and buff. It has a pale supercilium and a chestnut and black crest which is raised as part of its display. The underparts are off-white and the tail is long and graduated. Immature birds are spotted with buff and are more rufous on the back and wings.
The striped cuckoo eats large insects (primarily grasshoppers and caterpillars),[2][3] often taken off the ground. This is a solitary and fairly shy species which tends to keep to the cover of bushes, although it will sing from more open perches. It has a whistled call usually of two or three notes, wu-weee or wu-wu-wee, and can be attracted by imitations of this.
This bird is very important in Brazilian folklore, being related to the legend of the saci, or matita-perê. Other than saci, the bird is also known as matinta-pereira, pitica (Pará), crispim, fenfém, martim-pererê, matimpererê, matintapereira, matintaperera, matitaperê, peitica, peito-ferido, roceiro-planta, seco-fico, sede-sede, saci-do-campo, sem-fim, fém-fém, tempo-quente, bulhões, bolinhas, feijão, feijoada, jotalhão, gansolino, peixe-frito (Bahia), e peixe-frito-seu-veríssimo.[4][5]
Matita-pereira is famously mentioned in Tom Jobim's song Águas de Março.
The striped cuckoo (Tapera naevia) is a near-passerine bird, the only member of the genus Tapera. This resident cuckoo is found from Mexico and Trinidad south to Bolivia and Argentina.
The striped cuckoo is found in open country with trees or shrubs, and the edges of mangrove forests. It is among the very few brood parasitic cuckoos of the Americas (only other are Dromococcyx), and typical hosts are spinetails, but often also wrens, and other species with domed nests. The female cuckoo lays one, sometimes two, white or bluish eggs in the host's large stick nest. The eggs hatch in 15 days, with a further 18 days until the cuckoo fledges. The young spinetails disappear.
This species is about 27 cm (11 in) long and weighs 40 g (1.4 oz). The adult is mainly grey-brown above, streaked with black and buff. It has a pale supercilium and a chestnut and black crest which is raised as part of its display. The underparts are off-white and the tail is long and graduated. Immature birds are spotted with buff and are more rufous on the back and wings.
The striped cuckoo eats large insects (primarily grasshoppers and caterpillars), often taken off the ground. This is a solitary and fairly shy species which tends to keep to the cover of bushes, although it will sing from more open perches. It has a whistled call usually of two or three notes, wu-weee or wu-wu-wee, and can be attracted by imitations of this.
