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Many other groups of birds thrive
in terrestrial habitats. Parrots, known for their brilliantly
colored plumage, form a distinctive group of tropical
and southern temperate birds that inhabit woodlands
and grasslands. Doves and pigeons, like parrots, are
seed and fruit eaters but are more widespread and typically
more subdued in color. The cuckoos-including the tree-dwelling
species such as the European cuckoo, whose call is mimicked
by the cuckoo clock, and ground-inhabiting species,
such as roadrunners-are land birds. Hummingbirds are
a group of nectar- and insect-feeding land birds whose
range extends from Alaska to the tip of South America.
Woodpeckers and their relatives thrive in forests. Kingfishers
are considered land birds despite their habit of eating
fish.
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