Physical characteristics of cuculiformes
The Cuculidae is a large family, which has more than 120 member species. It is also called Cuckoo family. The common species that make up this family are cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. The normal length of the birds making this family is in the neighborhood of 13 cm. for the pheasant cuckoo. The roadrunner measures an average of 56 cm. The anis is sometimes referred to as black cuckoo as a result of the black plumage they exhibit. The birds have heavy bills that are either smooth or ridged and measure about 46 cm in full length.

Most Cuculidae do not have attractive colors with their feathers mostly gray, black or dark brown. They have zygodactyl feet and narrow bills with tails that are slightly longer. This means that their two toes that are on each foot face frontward and the other two face backward. These birds are terrestrial, which means they inhabit the land. In spite of this, they are very capable of flying.

Geographic range
Members of this family are found in almost all parts of the earth with an exception of Antarctica. The great spotted cuckoo, transverses continental confines and are found in three separate continents in countries like Egypt (Africa), France (Europe) and Iraq which is found in Asia. Yet the greater anis is found mainly in South America while the roadrunners mostly inhabit the Northern American countries of US and Mexico.

Habitat
The birds that belong to this family colonize a variety of habitats. Some of them, mainly the cuckoos are found in tropical rainforests which has a lot of rainfall that provides for abundant growth. The anis species live in the coniferous forests which have less number of trees but there is no shedding of leaves by the tees. They are also commonly seen in grasslands that have characteristically less number of trees. The roadrunners colonize the deserts and the dry areas.

Diet
The main food of the Cuculidae is insects such as the caterpillars and grasshoppers, while some species will feed on lizards, seeds, and bird eggs.

Conservation status
The members of this family are not in any foreseeable risk of extinction but there are calls to prevent the wanton destruction of the forests which form a majority of the habitat for them. Also, there are widespread fears that the continued declining amount of rainfall will impact negatively on their population.

Behavior and reproduction
The cuckoos are mostly solitary, which means they tend to live lonely lives and do not move in colonies until they pair up in adult age. They are mostly monogamous, which means they stick to one partner for mating for the rest of their lives. Some cuckoo species are known to lay eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving them to be tended by other birds. Anises, unlike the cuckoos, live in groups and make their nests after they have bred. They also have helps that come to their aid when hatching the chicks.