Animal Profiles
Birds

Cuckoo

Cuculidae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Cuckoos form a varied bird family. This account describes the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), an insect-eating migrant whose females lay eggs in the nests of other birds.

Cuculus canorus (cuckoo)

Representative species: Cuculus canorus.

Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · CC BY

At a glance

Location
Eurasian breeding grounds and African wintering areas.
Habitat
Temperate forest, Grassland, Wetlands
Diet
Insectivore
Food
Mainly insects, including hairy caterpillars.

Classification

Common name
Cuckoo
Browse group
Birds
Scientific name or taxon
Cuculidae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Cuculiformes
Family
Cuculidae
Source classification
Aves

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Females leave egg incubation to host birds.
  • Females make a bubbling call during the breeding season.
  • Young birds migrate without travelling with their parents.

Habitat and range

Common cuckoos breed across much of Europe and Asia and migrate to warmer regions outside the breeding season. Woods, marshes and open country provide feeding areas and nests of suitable host species.

Appearance and adaptations

Long wings and a long tail give the bird a slender outline. Grey adults have barred pale underparts; some females are reddish brown.

Diet and behaviour

Caterpillars and other insects supply much of the diet. Females place their eggs in other birds’ nests, leaving the hosts to incubate and rear the chick. Adults generally migrate before their young, which make their first journeys independently.

Sources

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