Meet the Common Cuckoo Bird: Master Nest Thief

Most birds spend hours, days, or even weeks painstakingly building their nests. Some birds make nests out of mud, some build nests in trees, and some birds nest on the ground and simply scrape out a shallow depression. Other birds, like the winter wren (Troglodytes hiemalis), build intricate domed nests out of grasses and lichens. Birds build their nests during the breeding season to hold their eggs and provide protection from predators and the weather. Some birds, however, including the common cuckoo, simply lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Continue reading to learn more about this fascinating bird. 

Taxonomy 

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) belongs to the cuckoo family Cuculidae. In Latin, the common cuckoo’s name, Cuculus canorus, translates to the melodious cuckoo, alluding to the unique vocalizations of the male common cuckoo, which onomatopoeically resemble the word cuckoo.

Distribution

Common cuckoos spend the spring and summer in Europe and Asia and overwinter in Africa. Their preferred habitats include open areas with sparse tree cover, including fields, scrubland, parks, and marshes. Their global population trend is currently considered stable, with a total population estimated between 25 and 100 million. The IUCN lists the common cuckoo as a species of Least Concern due to its widespread distribution.

Physical Characteristics

Common cuckoos measure approximately 13 inches in length, with a wingspan between 22 and 24 inches. They have a long, slender body and tail, with legs that appear short in comparison. Their plumage is predominantly gray, although some cuckoos feature rufous coloration, particularly as juveniles. Meanwhile, their underparts are barred with alternating dark and light stripes. In addition, a yellow ring encircles each of their eyes. People often mistake common cuckoos for the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). Birds often make this same mistake. This can lead birds to vacate their nests when a cuckoo appears, allowing it to lay its eggs unimpeded.

Diet

Common cuckoos are diurnal, meaning that they feed during the day and sleep at night. As insectivores, their diet consists primarily of insects. They eat a wide variety of insects, including beetles, insect larvae, crickets, and dragonflies. In particular, they like to eat hairy caterpillars, which many other bird species avoid due to their unappetizing flavor. On occasion, common cuckoos will also eat the eggs and chicks of other birds. When feeding, common cuckoos normally feed on the ground and will run or hop after their prey. Upon catching a caterpillar, they may shake or bang it against a tree to remove its spines, but they may also simply swallow a caterpillar whole, spines and all.

Nest Stealing Behavior

The common cuckoo is a brood parasite, meaning it lays its eggs in other birds’ nests. Therefore, the female does not build her own nest and instead relies on other birds to raise her chicks. During the breeding season, a female cuckoo will lay 20 to 25 eggs, depositing each egg in a separate nest. Cuckoos are known to lay their eggs in the nests of 120 to 150 different bird species. Female cuckoos tend to target nests located closest to them, often waiting for their hosts to leave their nests unattended. The female cuckoo will incubate her egg inside her body for a day before laying it in another bird’s nest. This ensures that the common cuckoo chick hatches first, monopolizing food and the host’s attention.

Chick Behavior

Upon hatching, the common cuckoo chick will push the host bird’s eggs or live young out of the nest. It’s normally able to do so because the cuckoo chick typically hatches before the host’s young. If the host’s chicks hatch first, the larger and stronger cuckoo chick will forcibly evict the host’s young from the nest. Common cuckoo chicks require a significant amount of food and fare poorly if they have to share food resources. 

Ecological and Cultural Importance

Scientists consider the presence of cuckoo chicks and cuckoos in general to be a good indicator of biodiversity in bird communities. The more host species a cuckoo preys upon, the greater the biodiversity in that area. The cuckoo bird is also a cultural symbol, appearing in legends and songs, as well as in books and plays. In Europe, hearing the call of a cuckoo is a sign that spring is fast approaching.