Crotophaginae
| Crotophagines | |
|---|---|
| Guira cuckoo, Guira guira | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Subfamily: | Crotophaginae Swainson, 1837 |
| Type species | |
| Crotophaga ani | |
| Genera | |
The Crotophaginae are a small subfamily, within the cuckoo family Cuculidae, of four gregarious bird species occurring in the Americas. They were previously classified as a family Crotophagidae.
The subfamily is notable for the development of cooperative breeding where several females lay eggs in a communal nest. It contains the three anis and the guira cuckoo.
Among the anis, there is considerable variation in nesting habits. One species, The greater ani (Crotophaga major) lays 2 or 3 eggs, while the groove-billed ani (C. sulcirostris) lays seven. However the smooth-billed ani (C. ani) will share one nest between several females, with up to 29 eggs in one nest. Incubation takes 15 days for this species.