The common cuckoo is a slim, grey bird whose call announces spring across Europe and Asia. It is famous as a brood parasite, tricking other birds into raising its young.
Interesting facts
- Only the male makes the famous ‘cuck-oo’ call; females make a bubbling call.
- Different female cuckoos specialise in different host species, such as reed warblers or meadow pipits.
- Many cuckoos lay eggs that closely match the colour of their host’s eggs.
- Satellite tracking has shown British cuckoos crossing the Sahara to winter in the Congo rainforest.
- Cuckoos eat hairy caterpillars that most birds avoid.
- Cuckoo numbers in England have fallen sharply since the 1980s.
Behaviour
Cuckoos are secretive and are more often heard than seen. Females watch host birds building nests, then quickly lay an egg while the hosts are away.
Breeding and young
A female may lay a dozen or more eggs in different host nests in one season. The host parents raise the cuckoo chick, which grows much larger than them.
Threats and conservation
Declines in large moths and caterpillars, problems on migration and in wintering areas, and habitat change.
Where to see it
- Reedbeds and heaths across Europe in April and May
- RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk, and the Norfolk Broads, England
- Hortobágy, Hungary
- Wetlands and forests across Asia
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
