Bird
🐦
🐦
Size
32–34 cmSimilar to a small pigeon but more slender
Weight
105–130 gAbout 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
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)
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