Afamiliar summer visitor, Cuckoos are found across Europe from early April to mid September. Cuckoos frequent a wide variety of habitats, from woods to reedbeds, coastal dunes to moorland.
The Cuckoo’s long tail and pointed wings sometimes lead to confusion with certain birds of prey such as falcons or hawks. The fast flight is also rather raptor-like. However, once its famous call is heard, there is no identification problem.
The Cuckoo has developed a very sneaky way of raising its young. The female will lay her eggs in other birds’ nests, garden species such as the Dunnock and Robin always being favourites, and ‘allow’ the new parent the pleasure of raising a huge youngster, which slowly but surely ‘evicts’ the other eggs and nestlings.
Upon arrival, the male’s far-carrying familiar ‘cuc-coo’ call resounds around the country. Males will also utter a stuttering ‘cuc-cuc-coo’ and, when agitated, a gargling, laughing ‘gug, gug, gug, gug’.
Cuckoos soar in a nice, straightforward way, often staying close to the surface, yet they possess the skill to gracefully glide for a considerable distance. When they touch down, their wings hang down gently while their tail points upward.
A friendly male Cuckoo has a lovely silvery-grey head and upper breast. The mantle and wings are just slightly darker, with the flight feathers being a very dark grey. The rump matches the same shade of grey as the head and breast, while the tail is dark yet accents with white notches on each tail feather. It's charming with an obvious white tail tip. The underparts, from the lower breast to the undertail coverts, are elegantly barred in black and white. The bill starts with a cheerful orange-yellow at the base and ends with a dark tip. Its eye is a vibrant orange with a thin yellow orbital ring. Finally, the legs and feet sport a delightful shade of orange-yellow.
The lovely rufous-brown phase of the female Cuckoo is a bit less common than the more familiar grey birds, but not as rare as some books might suggest. The whole upper part of the bird, except for the wings, has a delightful rufous hue with delicate black barring from head to tail. The underside is adorned with black and white stripes from chin to tail, and there's a hint of cinnamon on the cheeks, breast sides, and the underside of the tail. The bare parts are just like those of the male. When it takes flight, the combination of its upperpart color and bird shape creates a truly remarkable spectacle.
Female Cuckoos with a grey phase have the same appearance as males, except for a lovely touch of brownish color on their breast and slightly darker flight feathers.
Young Cuckoos, after leaving the nest, continue to enjoy the kindness of their foster parents. Their feathers have a delightful pattern on the upper side, with a lovely blend of dark gray as the base color on the head and back, accented by delicate white edges. The wings exhibit a similar pattern, adorned with charming brown speckles. As for their throat and upper breast, they display distinct bars alternating between black and white, densely arranged. Towards the lower breast and tail, these bars become more spaced out, adding to their unique charm.
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