Cuckoos are widely distributed, but are concentrated in the tropics, where they occupy a wide range of habitats. Both terrestrial and arboreal behaviors can be found in this group, but there is no consensus on as to whether these behaviors have arisen more than once. Moreover, the historical distribution of cuckoos is poorly understood. This paper presents a biogeographyc analysis of the early history of the distribution of these birds. The analysis was performed by using the Principle of Parsimony based on primary and secondary "Brooks Parsimony Analysis" (BPA). Despite some exceptions, the primary BPA corroborated events of vicariance (general pattern) in the early distribution of cuckoos and a terrestrial ancestor widespread in the Gondwana. The most parsimonious hypothesis suggests that the distribution of terrestrial cuckoos (basal group) is associated with the break-up of the Gondwana (Early to Mid Cretaceous), consistent with molecular data for other living birds. On the other hand, the fossil records indicate a more recent origin (Paleocene to Upper Tertiary) in the Laurasia. Nevertheless, to corroborate the fossil records, the early distribution of cuckoos would not be explained by parsimony, since additional steps on dispersion and local extinctions should be added. In addition, according to the secondary BPA, most exceptions can be explained by dispersion as the origin of the arboreal cuckoos (derived group) in South America, where they dispersed to other continents.

Realizou-se o levantamento quantitativo e qualitativo da comunidade de aves de dois fragmentos de floresta estacional semidecídua no interior do estado de São Paulo de julho de 2004 a julho de 2005. Para o estudo quantitativo utilizou-se da metodologia de Pontos de Escuta. Foram analisados os índices de diversidade e de freqüência de ocorrência dessa comunidade. O levantamento qualitativo registrou 181 espécies na Fazenda Rio das Pedras - FRP (Itapetininga, 350 ha) e 126 espécies na Fazenda Santa Maria II - FSM (Buri, 480 ha), enquanto que o levantamento quantitativo registrou a presença de 73 espécies em 988 contatos e 64 espécies em 1019 contatos para FRP e FSM, respectivamente. O índice pontual de abundância (IPA) variou de 0,01 (1 contato) a 1,32 (132 contatos), para FRP e na FSM variou entre 0,01 (1 contato) a 0,97 (97 contatos). A diversidade do fragmento da FRP foi de H’ = 3,04 e na FSM de H’ = 2,85 onde a eqüitatividade em ambas áreas foi de 0,91. A comunidade de aves nos fragmentos estudados mostrou o mesmo padrão encontrado em outros fragmentos de floresta estacional semidecídua de tamanhos relativos. As categorias alimentares mais representativas nos dois remanescentes foram insetívoras (53% na FSM e 50% na FRP) e frugívoras (23% na FSM e 26% na FRP). Dentre os insetívoros, destacaram-se as famílias Tyrannidae na FSM e Thamnophilidae na FRP. Tanto na FSM como na FRP os insetívoros de sub-bosque foram mais representativos (53% e 51,4% respectivamente), seguidos pelos frugívoros de sub-bosque (50%) na FSM e frugívoros de copa (52,6%) na FRP. A importância do estudo de comunidade de aves esta ligada à elaboração do plano de manejo e conservação das áreas naturais.

Qualitative and quantitative survey of bird community were performed in two distinct semideciduous forest in the interior of the State of São Paulo from July 2004 to July 2005. Point Counts were used for the quantitative survey followed by diversity and frequence of ocurrence indexes of the bird assemblage. The qualitative survey registered a total of 181 species of birds at Fazenda Rio das Pedras (FRP, Itapetininga, 350 ha) and 126 at Fazenda Santa Maria II (FSM II, Buri, 260 ha). The qualitative survey registered 73 species in 998 contacts and 64 species en 1019 contacts, respectively, for FRP and FSM II. The ponctual index of abundance (IPA) varied from 0.01 (one contact) to 1.32 (132 contacts) at FRP and from 0.01 (one contact) to 0.97 (97 contacts) at FSM II. The general diversity index for FRP was H’ = 2.85 and H’ = 3.04 at FSM II. Both areas presented an evenness index of E = 0.91. The bird community in both patched of forest showed the same pattern found in other different forest fragments of relative size studies by many distinct authors. In both localities, insectivorus (53% at FSM e 50% at FRP) and frugivorus (23% na FSM e 26% na FRP) birds were the most representative. Among the former, Tyrannidae and Thamnophilidae were predominant, respectively, at FSM and FRP. In both places understory insectivorous birds were dominant (53% at FSM and 51,4% at FRP), followed by understory frugivorus at FSM (50%) and by canopy frugivorus (52,6%) at FRP. The importance of bird community in forest remmants in linked to managing and conservation of wild natural forested in Stade of São Paulo.

Têm-se notado vários estudos recentes em filogenia com os Cuculiformes, no entanto nestes trabalhos ainda há divergências. Apresenta-se aqui uma nova e ampla análise filogenética para os Cuculiformes com base em 250 caracteres da osteologia, comportamento e ecologia. Esta análise resultou em 18 cladogramas igualmente parcimoniosos (768 passos, IC = 0.4779, IR = 0.8080 e ICR = 0.3861). De acordo com o cladograma de consenso estrito se pode observar: a) o monofiletismo dos Cuculiformes; b) a ordem dividida em dois grupos: a) Coua/Carpococcyx e; b) demais cucos (Neomorphidae, (Crotophagidae, (Tapera/Dromoccoccyx, (Cuculidae))), no entanto a posição sistemática de Centropus é ambígua entre estes dois grandes grupos; c) os cucos terrestres basais e parafiléticos e os cucos arbóreos derivados e monofiléticos. Ainda, propõe-se que o comportamento de parasitar ninho tenha surgido duas vezes independentemente (uma em Tapera/Dromoccoccyx e outra dentro de Cuculidae).

Despite of many recent cladistic studies the classification of the order Cuculiformes is still controversial. Thus, we performed the most extensive cladistic analysis of the cuckoos, inferred based on 250 characters of the osteology, behavior and ecology. The resulting analysis provided 18 equally parsimonious trees (768 steps, CI = 0.4779, RI = 0.8080 and CRI = 0.3861). According to the topology of the strict consensus cladogram: a) the monophyly of Cuculiformes order is corroborated; b) the order is divided in two groups: a) Coua/Carpococcyx and b) others cuckoos (Neomorphidae, (Crotophagidae, (Tapera/Dromoccoccyx, (Cuculidae))), being the systematic position of Centropus ambiguous between these two groups; c) the terrestrial cuckoos are considered basal and a paraphyletic group and the arboreal cuckoos are derived and monophyletic; d) brood parasitism evolved twice in the cuckoos (in Tapera/Dromoccoccyx and in Cuculidae).