Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus
Cuckoos (Cuculidae)

CC-BY 2.0 rights : Stefan Berndtsson

Long streamlined bird with a striped belly all the way to the tail, pointed wings that reach below the body while the tail is lifted. The ♂ is greyish with dark wings and tail.  The ♀ more brown-grey sometimes pinkish and has a yellow breast marking. Young has a brown marked back and striped belly.

The cuckoo puts its egg in the nest of other smaller birds where it will hatch and be fed by its host. 

More often heard than seen, ♂ calling its own name. They are difficult to recognise even when observed. 

⇔ l. 32-36 cm

This migratory bird leaves for Africa at the end of July, the young follow later. The cuckoo looks like a ACCIPITER NISUS (Sparrowhawk), causing smaller birds to flee to distract it from its nest, allowing the cuckoo quickly to lay an egg in that same nest. This behaviour of letting other species take care of the offspring is common to several species of birds and bumblebees.

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