{{short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | name = Striped cuckoo | image = SACI (Tapera naevia ).jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2020 |title=''Tapera naevia'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T22684444A163880785 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22684444A163880785.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Tapera | parent_authority = Thunberg, 1819 | species = naevia | authority = (Linnaeus, 1766) | synonyms = ''Cuculus naevius'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766}} | range_map = Tapera naevia map.svg }}

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 and Colombia.

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 {{convert|27|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and weighs {{convert|40|g|oz|abbr=on}}. 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),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Tapera_naevia%20-%20Striped%20Cuckoo%20or%20American%20Striped%20Cuckoo.pdf |title=''Tapera naevia'' (Striped Cuckoo or American Striped Cuckoo)|website=The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago|publisher=UWI}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tapera_naevia/ | title=Tapera naevia (Striped cuckoo) | website=Animal Diversity Web }}</ref> 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.

== Brazilian folklore == 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eln.gov.br/Pass500/BIRDS/2birds/p129.htm |title=Família: Cuculidae Espécie: ''Tapera naevia'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927032433/http://www.eln.gov.br/Pass500/BIRDS/2birds/p129.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sosaci.org/aparicoes59.htm |title=Sociedade dos Observadores de Saci |publisher=SOSACI |date=2007-01-08 |access-date=2013-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206091403/http://www.sosaci.org/aparicoes59.htm |archive-date=2012-02-06 }}</ref>

Matita-pereira is famously mentioned in Tom Jobim's song ''Águas de março''.

==References== {{Reflist}} *{{cite book | last = ffrench<!--this name should not be capitalized--> | first = Richard | title = A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago | edition = 2nd | year = 1991 | publisher = Comstock Publishing | isbn = 0-8014-9792-2 }} *{{cite book | last = Hilty | first = Steven L | title = Birds of Venezuela | publisher = Christopher Helm | year = 2003 | location = London | isbn = 0-7136-6418-5 }}

==External links== {{Commons category|Tapera naevia}} {{Wikispecies|Tapera naevia}} * {{InternetBirdCollection|american-striped-cuckoo-tapera-naevia|American striped cuckoo}} * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20011120184147/http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/7612800.htm Stamps]}} for Suriname at {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990428065259/http://www.bird-stamps.org/ bird-stamps.org]}} * {{VIREO|striped+cuckoo}} * [http://www.guyana.org/Guyana_Photo_Gallery/birds/Striped%20cuckoo.jpg Striped cuckoo Photo] at [http://www.guyana.org/Guyana_Photo_Gallery/birds/birds.html Birds of Guyana] * {{NeotropicalBirds|strcuc1|Striped cuckoo}} * {{IUCN_Map|22684444/163880785|Tapera naevia}}

{{Brood parasite}} {{Otidimorphae|C.|state=collapsed}} {{Taxonbar|from1=Q1262847|from2=Q15390810}}

striped cuckoo Category:Birds of Central America Category:Birds of South America Category:Birds of Trinidad and Tobago Category:Brood parasites striped cuckoo striped cuckoo Category:Birds of the Amazon rainforest Category:Birds of Brazil