Cucco
Cuccos are chickens that have featured in several The Legend of Zelda games. They are well known for attacking Link if he attacks them for an extended period of time, and are sometimes known as the Cucco's Revenge Squad. In all games of their appearance, Link can lift Cuccos above his head, although this doesn't always serve a purpose.
A Link to the Past
In A Link to the Past, their first appearance, Cuccos could be found in Kakariko Village. This game introduced their vengeful "death swarm" behavior.
Cucco-like monsters appeared in the Dark World, reacting to attacks with the same movements and sound effects. Unlike their paler counterparts, these monsters don't call in a "revenge squad" when abused after any period of time.
Link's Awakening
Cuccos in Link's Awakening couldn't be lifted or thrown without the aid of the Power Bracelet, and could mainly be found in Mabe Village. They could be killed using the Magic Powder or Magic Rod.
On Koholint's mountain range, a hen house can be found housing a man and several Cuccus.
Flying Rooster
A unique, blue Cucco known as The Flying Rooster helps Link acquire the Key to the Eagle's Tower of the game and then helps you get to the actual level itself. Playing the Frog's Song of Soul that Link learned from Mamu in the Sign Post Maze underneath the weathercock in Mabe Village, the Rooster can be resurrected. While a normal Cucco in this game will do nothing special while lifted, the Flying Roost will allow Link to fly over bottomless pits much like Roc's Feather. Unlike the feather, Link isn't required to fall down until he throws the rooster. The Flying Rooster will follow Link around everywhere on the overworld map, but will not follow him into dungeons.
The Flying Rooster can also be used to get one of the optional, 26 Secret Seashells near Kanalet Castle.
Once Eagle's Tower has been completed by the player, The Flying Rooster will leave and make its new home in the Hen House of the mountain range, and will be owned by the man who lives there. The Flying Rooster is seen giving the man some flights in his house, and the player will no longer be able to use The Flying Rooster.
The Flying Rooster also appears in A Link to the Past, to get him you have to play the flute in front of the rooster in Kakariko village. When playing the flute again the rooster will pick you up to transport you to another part in the map.
Ocarina of Time
Cuccos could be found in a variety of places in Ocarina of Time, and again attacked Link in swarms if struck. As a new feature, Link could grab a Cucco and use it to glide slowly when jumping off a cliff. This technique is known as Chicken Gliding, and can be used several times throughout the game to earn Pieces of Heart. Unlike the Flying Rooster, Cuccos grabbed in this and later games cause link to slowly glide downward instead of fly upwards.
Anju, who can be found in Kakariko Village, requests that Link helps return her missing Cuccos to their pen. If this task is accomplished, the player can earn a Bottle. When Link returns later, the Cuccos will found to be out of their pen once more. He can complete the task as many times as he returns to the village, but Anju will instead only award him with fifty Rupees.
The game also features Cojiro, the only known blue Cucco, and a smaller variant known as the Pocket Cucco.
See also: Super Cucco Game
Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, Cuccos appear and function the same as in Ocarina of Time. The Cucco Shack at Romani Ranch is home to a number of Cucco chicks, which Link helps to mature into adulthood using the Bremen Mask. There is also one Cucco in the Barn.
Other than maturing the baby Cuccos to obtain the Bunny Hood, Cuccos seve no purpose in this game and cannot effectively be used for gliding.
Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
Cuccos in both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons appear similarly and function identically to those found in Link's Awakening.
An interesting attribute of Cuccos unique to the Oracle series is the effect Mystery Seeds have on them. If a Cucco has not called in the Revenge Squad when it is hit by a Mystery Seed, it will be reverted to a baby form of itself which will continue to swarm Link. However, this baby form cannot damage Link.
If the Cucco has called in the Revenge Squad, then it will instead triple in size, hurting Link through physical contact until he leaves. When a Cucco is enlarged like this, it becomes impossible to pick up, and will immediately begin to attack Link if he attacks it again.
Flying Roosters can be found at Mt. Cucco on Oracle of Seasons.
See also:
Four Swords Adventures
The Minish Cap
The Cuccos of The Minish Cap were mostly the same as in A Link to the Past, though there were golden Cuccos that appeared only for a minigame along with small yellow Cucco Chicks. The Cucco chicks will attack Link if he is shrunk.
Twilight Princess
Cuccos in Twilight Princess now come in white, brown and other realistic chicken colors. When attacked repeatedly, the Cuccos no longer call in the revenge squad. Instead, attacking them allows the player to control the Cucco for a few seconds, similar to how Seagulls could be controlled with Hyoi Pears in Wind Waker.
The Oocca are very similar to Cuccos in appearance and name. When Link grabs one in City in the Sky, they can even be used to glide like a regular Cucco.
Important Twilight Princess cuccos
A white Cucco known as "Cucco Leader" is the leader of all cats in the Hidden Village. Unlike other Cuccos, he is not arrogant but seems to genuinely care for all the cats and wants them to be happy.
Rusl lent Link a shiny Golden Cucco with faster flight abilities that allowed Link to reach the Sacred Grove. Unlike other Twilight Princess Cuccos, the Golden Cucco cannot be controlled by striking it repeatedly. If you speak to him in your wolf form, he will sing a familiar rhyme, but with a twist.
Phantom Hourglass
Cuccos in Phantom Hourglass appear and function similarly to their counterparts in Ocarina of Time. The "Revenge Squad" comes at their attacker at much higher speeds in Phantom Hourglass than any other game, making them a more lethal force.
Cucco Gliding
Cucco Gliding originated in Link's Awakening. It's mechanics are fairly simple: have Link grab a Cucco, run off a ledge, and you will glide safely to the ground with the Cucco squirming and frantically flapping its wings (as Link holds it above his head) so as to get free.
Cucco gliding was used primarily to gain access to Eagle's Tower by helping Link, using the Flying Rooster, acquire the Bird Key. It appears to have returned in Twilight Princess, in Falbi's Flight by Fowl In Ocarina of Time, Cucco Guiding is one way to get several Pieces of Heart, although, the Hover Boots can be used in just about every case. But that is more difficult than gliding. Cucco Gliding appears once more in Phantom Hourglass, where jumping off a cliff whilst holding a Cucco will lengthen the jump.
Cucco's Revenge Squad
Ever since the introduction of the cucco in A Link to the Past, if Link attacks a Cucco enough times, a large group of indestructible Cuccos will attack him. In Ocarina of Time, they appear wherever their more peaceful cousins can be found - Lon Lon Ranch, Kakariko Village, and even the bend in Zora's River. The only ways to escape the murderous group of poultry are to leave the area (they can't follow) or to mount Epona (Link himself becomes indestructible). Failure to do one of these two things will eventually result in Link's death, the time for this extending the more health the player has. There are some, but few areas in which Link cannot get hurt by the Cucco's Revenge Squad, in which Link is still in the area. Some of these areas are, but are not limited to: The Well in Kakariko Village from Ocarina of Time, and a few steps back from the cage in the Obseratory from Majora's Mask.
They also appear in both the Light World and the Dark World in A Link to the Past, where the best option to evade them is either to enter a house or not to bully a Cucco up to 30 times.
In all three of the eight-bit The Legend of Zelda games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color they also make a return appearance, helping to aid their injured brethren from further harm by a "certain" hero.
While they were missing in The Wind Waker, the pigs found in the game served the same purpose - if provoked too much, they would attack Link.
Cucco's Revenge Squad seemed to mysteriously disappear in Twilight Princess, as attacking a cucco many times will result in being able to control the cucco for about 10 seconds. The reason for the Revenge Squad's absence is unknown. However, the change may not have much meaning behind it - except that almost every aspect of Zelda underwent a transformation during the development of Twilight Princess, from the "evolution" of the Boomerang to the Gale Boomerang, amongst many of the other changed, familiar items, to the complete replacement of the Moblins with Bulblins. The Goats in Ordon Village also served the same purpose as the Cuccos, when herding them, if you whoop at them too much they will turn red, turn around and knock Link off of Epona.
The squad returns in Phantom Hourglass; by hitting a cucco a few times, both that cucco and the cucco revenge squad will attack you. Although, the cuccos are considerably harder to catch than in previous games.