The Striped Cuckoo (Tapera naevia) is a near-passerine bird and the sole member of its genus. It is found from Mexico and Trinidad to Bolivia, Argentina, and Colombia, typically in open areas with trees or shrubs, and along mangrove forest edges. This brood parasitic species often lays its eggs in the nests of spinetails and wrens, with incubation lasting 15 days, followed by 18 days until fledging.
Measuring about 27 cm and weighing 40 g, the adult striped cuckoo has a grey-brown upper body, a pale supercilium, and a chestnut and black crest. Its underparts are off-white, and it has a long, graduated tail. Immature birds are more rufous and spotted with buff.
The striped cuckoo primarily feeds on large insects, such as grasshoppers and caterpillars, and is typically solitary and shy, often singing from concealed spots. Its call is a whistled “wu-weee” or “wu-wu-wee.” In Brazilian folklore, this bird is linked to the legend of the saci and has many regional names, including matinta-pereira and peixe-frito.
