Common Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

Genus · Typical Old World Cuckoos Family · Cuckoos
Observation tips Difficulty: MODERATE
Best time
🕒 Any
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Best months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Observation habitat
Forest deciduousGrasslandLake wetlands

Listen for the male's call in open country. Look for a bird perched on a wire with drooping wings. In flight, notice the pointed wings and the lack of a raptor's broad wingtips.

Common Cuckoo

♂ Male · ♀ Female

Stats
Wingspan55–65 cm
Weight100–135 g
Length32–36 cm
Lifespan wild5–13 yrs
Size
XS
S
M
L
XL
Nesting
Nest typeNone
Clutch size1–20 eggs
Incubation11–13 days
Breeding months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Regional Status (Europe)
LC
Least Concern (Europe)
IUCN Red List
MigrationMigratory
Social BehaviourSolitary

Diet: Insectivore

🐛Caterpillars
🦗Insects
🐛Larvae

Habitat

🚜 Farmland🌳 Forest deciduous🌿 Grassland🌾 Marsh
✦ Fun Fact

Female Cuckoos can produce eggs that mimic the color and pattern of their host's eggs. This trait is passed down through specific maternal lineages.

About

A legendary summer visitor to Europe. Its iconic call heralds the arrival of spring. It is a sleek, medium-sized bird with long wings and a long tail. In flight, it is often mistaken for a Sparrowhawk due to its barred underparts. It is a long-distance migrant that travels from Africa. It lives in woodlands, heaths, and marshes.

Behaviour

The Cuckoo is a famous brood parasite. Females do not build nests. Instead, they lay eggs in the nests of other species like Reed Warblers or Meadow Pipits. The young cuckoo hatches and instinctively ejects the host's eggs or chicks. This ensures it receives all the food. The male's 'cu-coo' call is used to defend territory.

Sexual Dimorphism

♂ Male

Uniformly blue-grey upperparts, head, and breast. It has finely barred white underparts. The eyes and feet are yellow.

♀ Female

Occurs in two forms. The grey morph is similar to the male but has a buff chest. The rarer 'rufous' morph is bright rusty-brown with dark barring.

Similar species

Eurasian Sparrowhawk
🐦
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
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