Cuckoo
Cuckoos are a worldwide family of slender, mostly tree-living birds, famous for the common cuckoo's habit of laying eggs in other birds' nests and for its call.
Encyclopaedia
What is a cuckoo?
Overview
The family includes the common cuckoo, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis, and contains about 150 species in 33 genera.
Cuckoos are generally medium-sized, slender birds. They range from the little bronze cuckoo, at about 17 g and 15 cm, to large birds of 60-80 cm in length. Most have long tails, and their feet are zygodactyl, with two toes pointing forward and two backward.
Most live in trees, though a sizeable minority live on the ground. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and most species are tropical. Cuckoos eat mainly insects, especially large caterpillars, along with other small animals and fruit.
Origins and history
The family Cuculidae was introduced by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in 1819. Very little fossil record of cuckoos has been found, so their evolutionary history remains unclear.
A 2014 genome analysis placed cuckoos in a group of birds with the turacos and the bustards. How these three orders are related to each other is still unclear.
Cuckoos have also featured in human culture for thousands of years. In Greek mythology they were sacred to the goddess Hera, in India they are sacred to Kamadeva, and in Japan they symbolise unrequited love. In Europe the cuckoo is linked with spring, and the word cuckold comes from its egg-laying habits.
Temperament and behaviour
Cuckoos are mostly solitary, shy and retiring birds, more often heard than seen. The main exception is the anis of the Americas, which are social, breed cooperatively and are often very trusting towards humans.
About 56 Old World species and three New World species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in other birds' nests. The common cuckoo is the best-known example. Its egg hatches early, and the chick usually evicts the host's eggs or young. Some cuckoos lay eggs that closely match their hosts' eggs. Most cuckoo species, however, build their own nests and raise their own young.
Cuckoos are active by day, but many call at night. Their calls are simple whistles, flutes or hiccups, used to hold territory and attract a mate. The common cuckoo gives the family its name. Some species migrate long distances, and the common cuckoo flies nonstop over the Mediterranean and the Sahara between Europe and central Africa.
Health
Cuckoo feathers are generally soft and often become waterlogged in heavy rain, and cuckoos often sun themselves after rain.
Brood-parasitic cuckoos face a constant struggle with their hosts, which may mob them or reject their eggs. Two species have become extinct in historical times: the snail-eating coua of Madagascar and the Saint Helena cuckoo.
Typical lifespan is not covered here.
This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. If you find an injured or unwell wild animal, contact a vet or a wildlife rescue.
Common questions
What is a cuckoo?
A cuckoo is a bird in the family Cuculidae, which has about 150 species. Most are slender, medium-sized birds that live in trees, and many eat insects.
Why does the cuckoo lay eggs in other birds' nests?
About 59 species are obligate brood parasites, meaning they only reproduce this way. The cuckoo chick hatches early and grows fast, and often evicts the host's eggs or young. Most cuckoo species do not do this and raise their own young.
What does a cuckoo eat?
Most cuckoos eat insects, especially large caterpillars, including hairy ones other birds avoid. Larger ground species also take lizards, snakes and small rodents, and some eat mainly fruit.
Do cuckoos migrate?
Most species stay put, but some migrate. Cuckoos breeding in cooler temperate climates all do. The common cuckoo travels between Europe and central Africa.
Why is it called a cuckoo?
The name comes from the call of the male common cuckoo.
Fun facts7 facts
The long-billed roadrunner, a ground-dwelling member of the family, can reach about 30 km/h when chasing prey.
A female parasitic cuckoo holds her egg inside her body for another 24 hours before laying it, so it has a head start on incubation.
Cuckoos process large prey by rubbing it on branches and crushing it with bony plates in the back of the mouth.
Asian koels breeding in India have black chicks, matching their crow hosts, while Australian koel chicks are brown like their honeyeater hosts.
The common cuckoo parasitises reed warblers in reed beds and meadow pipits on treeless moors.
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Some cuckoo eggs are painted to match a host's eggs, and cuckoos seem to pick nests whose eggs look like their own.[1]
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Some cuckoos have barred undersides like hawks, which seems to alarm host birds and let the female slip in to their nests.[1]
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Cuckoos often eat hairy, bad-tasting caterpillars that other birds avoid, and they rub their food on branches and crush it with bony plates in the mouth before swallowing.[1]
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Cuckoos called anis share one big nest, and the females may even toss out each other's eggs.[1]
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Cuckoos and the birds they trick are locked in an evolutionary arms race, with hosts spotting fakes and cuckoos evolving better disguises.[1]
Sources1
This guide was AI-drafted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) and reviewed before publishing.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuckoo
- [1]Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Cuckoo guides
Protecting and staying safe around a cuckoo
Not veterinary advice. General information about this animal. If you find one injured or in trouble, contact a wildlife rescue or the RSPCA rather than handling it yourself.
