Bird 🐦
🐦
Cuculus canorus
| Size | 32–34 cm Similar to a small pigeon but more slender |
|---|---|
| Weight | 105–130 g About the weight of an apple |
| Lifespan | 6 years |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| M vs F | Males make the iconic 'cuck-oo' call; females make a bubbling chuckle. Males are grey above with a barred breast; females can be buff-brown (hepatic form) or grey |
| Habitat | Open woodland, heathland, reedbeds, moorland, hedgerows — follows host species |
| Best time | Late April–June |
| Conservation | UK: Red LC |
Did you know?
A Cuckoo egg hatches 2 days before the host's eggs — the blind, naked chick then systematically ejects every other egg and chick from the nest within its first 3 days of life
A Cuckoo egg hatches 2 days before the host's eggs — the blind, naked chick then systematically ejects every other egg and chick from the nest within its first 3 days of life
More for experts
Different female Cuckoos specialise in parasitising specific host species — their eggs have evolved to match the colour and pattern of that specific host's eggs, maintained as matrilineal "gentes"
Often confused with
Sparrowhawk (similar size in flight, barred below — Cuckoos are often chased by small birds), Kestrel (rusty back)
Sparrowhawk (similar size in flight, barred below — Cuckoos are often chased by small birds), Kestrel (rusty back)