Cuckoo bird: description for schoolchildren, photo, bird voice

What does the forest bird cuckoo look like: description, its size, close-up photo

forest bird cuckoo

Read an article about the Peregrine Falcon bird on our website . It contains information about the appearance, behavior of this predator, nutrition and various interesting facts.

The cuckoo is a member of a large and diverse family of cuckoos, numbering about 140 species . These birds live in all parts of the world, except Antarctica . What does the bird look like? Description, its dimensions:

• Cuckoos that live on different continents vary in size and color.
• The smallest species have a body length of 15 cm , and the largest reach more than 60 cm .
• The color ranges from monochromatic gray to motley-spotted with brown, orange, and even green splashes.

Here's a close-up photo:

forest bird cuckoo

The most famous and widespread species in our forests is the common cuckoo (lat. Cuculus canorus ). It is thanks to the mating song “Ku-ku, ku-ku” , the male of this species, that the family owes its name.

Continuation:

• The common cuckoo is a small, well-proportioned bird, with an average weight of 140 g (100-180 g) , a total length of 32-34 cm , and a wingspan of 55 to 65 cm .
• Males are slightly larger in size and weight than females.
• The color of female and male individuals is different. The male is dark gray in color, the lower chest is white with dark stripes, and the throat area is ash-gray. The tail feathers are whitish-gray with a distinct white tip.
• Females of the species have two colors. Some are very similar to males, but have brownish feathers on the back and throat.
• The second ones are very different in color: a dark orange back and a white chest with dark transverse stripes. The tail is wedge-shaped, measuring 11-15 cm.
• The wings are long ( up to 20 cm ), pointed at the end, gray with a brown tint.
• The cuckoo's legs are small, yellow in color, and have long, hard feathers ending at the very toes with sharp claws.
• The arrangement of the toes on the paws: two look forward, and two look back - helps the bird to sit steadily on the tree, tenaciously grasping the branch.
• But with such legs it is difficult for the cuckoo to move on the ground.
• The small dark beak has the shape of a hook, curved down.
• The eyes are yellow or gray, surrounded by a leathery orange ring.
• Despite the fact that it is rare that no one has heard the cooing, the bird is mostly silent.
• The cuckoo's song can be heard during the mating season from May to July .

In nature, the cuckoo lives for about 10 years .

Characteristic signs

A total of 4 subspecies are known, the differences between which are almost invisible. It is worth noting the strong similarity between the appearance of the cuckoo and the sparrowhawk: the shape of the head, the hook-like tip of the nose, part of the plumage, flight behavior - all this helps the cuckoos in the struggle for survival.

The size of the bird is closer to that of a pigeon, with a weight of 100 to 180 g, the body length can be 33 cm. But the wingspan is impressive - about 65 cm. In combination with a long wedge-shaped tail, they provide the cuckoo with good maneuverability among trees and bushes.

The paws deserve special attention - they are strong and short, have the same structure (zygodactyl) as the paws of parrots or woodpeckers: two toes point both forward and backward. This allows the bird to easily and comfortably stay on branches, but creates problems with moving along horizontal planes.

The hard dark gray plumage was inherited by nature from the male cuckoos, while the females received a reddish craw and throat. Both sexes have a white chest and white belly, on which transverse stripes are clearly visible, as well as yellow thick trousers on the legs. Some females have a brown coating on the top of the back and wings, with dark spots. Eyes can be yellow or orange.

From cold weather to spring warmth, the cuckoo is difficult to detect; it is quite secretive and silent, and from cool regions it even migrates to warm regions. But from spring to mid-summer, the shouting in the area does not stop: “ku-ku, ku-ku”, emphasizing the first syllable, the males call the females, who respond with a ringing trill of “kli-kli-kli”, sometimes it even resembles a gurgle. In the silence, the echoes of cuckooing can be heard even two kilometers away.

In the nests of which birds does the cuckoo lay eggs?

The cuckoo lays eggs in the nests of various birds.
Cuckoos do not nest or build their own nests, being nest parasites. This is due to the physiological characteristics of the bird. The cuckoo does not lay eggs simultaneously, like many birds, but with an interval of 3-5 days . Over the summer, the female is capable of laying 10-15 eggs , and to hatch the chicks she would need to remain in the nest for 2 months In addition, the bird simply could not feed such a number of cuckoo chicks. Therefore, to raise its children, the cuckoo selects adoptive parents for them:

• The cuckoo does not lay its egg in the first nest it comes across, but carefully selects future educators for its offspring.
• Moreover, the search for a suitable pair begins at the stage of nest construction.
• More often she tries to leave her egg to the species of birds that she herself was fed.
• When laying an egg, the male helps the female.
• He flies around someone else's nest, pretending to be a predator and driving away the owners.
• As soon as they fly away, the female cuckoo lays her egg in the nest, it only takes her 15 seconds .
• Simultaneously with laying its own, the cuckoo destroys the host egg.
• The bird throws only one egg into each nest. Therefore, future parents, returning to the nest, do not notice the substitution and continue to hatch the chicks.
• The emerging cuckoo gets rid of both the eggs and the already hatched chicks, remaining the only subject of care for the adoptive parents.

In the nests of which birds does the cuckoo lay eggs? The adoptive parents of cuckoos are a large number of different birds that feed the chicks by placing food in their beaks. More often the parents of cuckoos are:

• Wagtails
• Kamyshovki
• Robins
• Flycatchers
• Warblers
• Finches
• Swifts
• Sparrows
• Finches
• Mints
• Redstart
• Other birds of the passerine family

Evolutionary development has endowed the cuckoo with the amazing ability to lay eggs that repeat the size or color of those in which they are laid. Therefore, the eggs of the common cuckoo differ significantly in size, from 15 to 23 mm , and color - 1117 species (from white to deep blue, large and small spotted).

Lifestyle

Secretive and cautious cuckoos live on average 9-11 years. They lead a silent lifestyle, leaving no traces of their activity. This makes it quite difficult to observe them. The enchanting cuckooing, with which so many legends and signs are associated, can only be heard during the mating season - from approximately April to July.

The bird leads a diurnal lifestyle, engaged exclusively in eating food. The structure of their paws does not allow these birds to actively move on the ground. If the need arises to go down for prey, the cuckoo grabs it and immediately returns to the top. Hiding in the crown of a tree, she calmly deals with the caught lizard or insect. Therefore, there are never any traces of the cuckoo’s paws left on the ground.

These birds do not build their own nests - they do not need them. Adults feel great sitting on tree branches, but they do not raise chicks. The common cuckoo is the most perfect nest parasite. She quietly slips her eggs into other people's clutches, and foster parents - completely strangers - are involved in raising and feeding the little voracious cuckoos.

How this happens is not yet completely clear, but the cuckoo can lay eggs that perfectly imitate the color of other people’s eggs. Those that are demolished by the owner of the selected nest. In some ornithologists' collections you can see dozens, or even hundreds, of cuckoo eggs of various colors - from white to bright blue, and even inconspicuous, speckled.

To successfully throw an egg into someone else's nest, a bird only needs a few seconds. The main thing is that there are no owners in it. Interestingly, to lure them out, the male cuckoo begins to circle over the nest, like a bird of prey. And when the nest is empty, the female cuckoo immediately lays her egg into it. It happens that instead of a nest, a cuckoo egg ends up in a hollow - if the female cannot climb there, then she lays the egg somewhere nearby, and then delivers it in her beak to the hollow.

How does a cuckoo chick grow?

When the cuckoo chick grows, it pushes all the other eggs out of the nest.
In total, 11-12 days , so its chick hatches earlier, beginning its struggle for survival. How does a cuckoo chick grow?

• The cuckoo chick is born completely blind and naked, there is no embryonic down, the weight is 2.5 -3.5 g .
• For the first 4-5 days, foster parents not only feed, but also warm the baby.
• As soon as it is born, the cuckoo chick tries to get rid of eggs or already hatched chicks.
• He pushes the eggs of his adoptive parents over the edge of the nest.
• In a similar way, he positions himself under the chick, pushing it towards the edge, and throws it out.
• He performs all his actions involuntarily; this instinct manifests itself in the cuckoo for the first 4 days , disappearing subsequently.
• The chick is unusually gluttonous. Moreover, in order to stimulate its adoptive parents to intensive feeding, the cub emits special loud cries that imitate the voices of the host chicks.

These loud calls often attract predators, who destroy birds' nests and kill their chicks. Although the chicks begin to fly at the age of three weeks, they continue to feed at the expense of their caregivers. Only six weeks after birth, cuckoo chicks leave the nest of the parents who fed them.

Reproduction

Cuckoos not only get rid of their chicks, but they are also in no hurry to create pairs. These birds do not gather in flocks. We can say that cuckoos are to some extent polygamous introverts. However, their mating rituals are quite romantic.

First, the male persistently calls for the female, while waving his tail like a fan. The female, agreeing, lowers her head and wings. To confirm the seriousness of his intentions, the male can present his chosen one with a stem or twig. Ritual dances and mating last throughout the mating season, from mid-spring to mid-summer.

As such, cuckoos do not have a nesting territory; there may be one male and several females in the same area, and vice versa. Conventionally, one can consider a nesting area to be a site where there are suitable nests in which a female cuckoo can lay her eggs - one in each. If two female cuckoos meet in the same territory, then each of them will parasitize the nests of different birds.

Due to the fact that the eggs of the common cuckoo mature in 11-12 days, the cuckoo chick is born earlier than other chicks. Thus, he gains a significant advantage over his half-brothers and sisters, quickly gaining strength and eating all the food that his foster parents bring.

Having already become a little stronger, the cuckoo chick begins to push all the other chicks and eggs out of the nest. Sitting under the chick, it backs up to the very edge and straightens up sharply. When the victim flies down, the cuckoo starts all over again. The most interesting thing is that he does it instinctively. After three or four days, not a trace remains of such behavior.

The bird becomes fully feathered 40 days after hatching, and from this time its independent existence begins. Until this moment, the cuckoo baby is continuously fed by its foster parents, even when it becomes clearly much larger than them. They continue to do this until they hear the characteristic cries of a hungry offspring, although it may leave the nest on the 20th day.

The sounds that the cuckoo chick makes are very reminiscent of the cries of the native chicks of their adoptive parents. That is, the cuckoo chick can specifically change its voice so as to be no different from the nestlings of its caregivers. And he receives this skill genetically, he is born with it.

What kind of birds does the cuckoo belong to: genus, species

Cuckoo
More detailed information about the species of these birds. Common cuckoo:

• Genus - cuckoos
• Subfamily - true cuckoos
• Family - cuckoo
• Order – cuckoo-shaped
• Class – birds

The cuckoo family includes 6 subfamilies, 28 genera and more than 140 species . Cuckoos are the most numerous genus, with 15 species , including the common cuckoo.

Features of cuckoo care

In zoos, care for these birds depends on the species. For cuckoos that live in trees, opportunities for flight are provided by installing perches and tall plants in the areas where they are kept. For ground cuckoos, shrubs are planted, shelters are created and substrates are poured, similar to those found in their natural habitat. The diets of birds in captivity mimic the feeding habits in nature as closely as possible.

Is the cuckoo a migratory bird or a resident one?

Cuckoo is a migratory bird.
Cuckoos are migratory birds. They are not sedentary. more than 3-4 months in their breeding areas . 6 thousand kilometers to their wintering grounds about 80 kilometers per day . Thus, they spend 2-2.5 months .

The common cuckoo chooses wintering sites:

• African countries
• India
• Southern territories of China
• Ceylon

When choosing a wintering place, cuckoos try to find settlements similar to their native ones, so they never winter in the desert. Interestingly, adult birds fly away for the winter immediately after laying eggs. That is, a month earlier than young cuckoos, which leave for migration at the end of August - beginning of September, and independently find their way to wintering places.

Habitats

On absolutely all continents (the only exception is Antarctica) and in all climatic zones (from cold forest-tundra to hot tropics), most territories are inhabited by cuckoos. Most often these birds can be found in the tropical regions of North America and Eurasia.

Wide distribution is noted from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, in most of Europe, Asia, Japan and the Korean Peninsula, in northern latitudes, on the Kuril Islands and the Commander Islands. Common cuckoos can be found wherever there is woody vegetation.

These birds are migratory. They spend only a few months a year in nesting areas. Cuckoos prefer to winter in Africa, India and Southern China. In this case, the flight length can reach 5-6,000 km.

For settlement, birds prefer deciduous forests, sometimes bushes on rough terrain, shelter belts or island forests in forest-steppe. These birds do not like coniferous forests and taiga.

They can settle in areas that are open on all sides if there are isolated bushes or trees nearby - this can usually be observed in the countries of Central Asia, where there is very little woody vegetation.

Is the cuckoo bird harmful?

Cuckoo
There are no useless animals or plants in nature. Although seemingly harmful at first glance, they turn out to be an important part of the ecosystem.

So it is with the cuckoo - this not very large bird destroys a large number of forest pests. She has an excellent appetite: she can eat up to 100 caterpillars 1,500 a day Moreover, its food becomes harmful and poisonous insects that other birds do not eat:

• Ticks
• Pine silkworms
• Furry caterpillars

The cuckoo is considered the orderly of the forest. It almost completely clears its habitat of pests, and, like a wolf among animals, limits the bird population, maintaining its optimal level.

Population

Its extensive habitat makes the common cuckoo a species whose population does not cause any concern. Europe alone is home to about two million pairs. Therefore, these birds are not protected, and no one is taking any measures to increase their numbers

Cuckoos are unpretentious, adapt well to conditions, have a fairly varied diet, and do not disdain poisonous insects - all these factors contribute to their completely calm survival. Competition between species simply does not exist for them.

The population decline occurs only in those regions where urban development is actively developing, and, accordingly, the number of trees and shrubs decreases. The birds' natural habitat is disappearing, and cuckoos are forced to develop other territories.

A sharp decrease in the number of cuckoos in Moscow and the region was the reason for their inclusion in the Red Book of the region in 2001: the species received the second category - with a decreased number. However, to date there have been no changes for the worse or for the better.

All forest areas in Moscow, in which cuckoos have been observed breeding, have received the status of a special environmental zone. Some of them were included in already existing territories with a similar status.

Due to the fact that the city is growing, and high-density multi-storey buildings are being erected on the outskirts, natural and artificially created large green areas are isolated from each other. A number of measures have been planned to improve the overall ecology of the city.

The priority is to improve living conditions not only for cuckoos, but also for small passerine birds. City parks, forest belts and green areas are under close control.

Additionally, the reconstruction of forests, which leads to a simplification of their composition and structure, is also prohibited.

Common cuckoo bird: interesting facts

Common cuckoo bird
The name “cuckoo” comes from the well-known song “cuckoo, cuckoo” , which is not similar to the singing of any other bird. You will find other interesting facts about the common cuckoo bird below.

The bird, known in the world since ancient times in different countries, has a similar name, similar to the sounds it pronounces:

• In Bulgaria it is called “kukovitsa”
• Germany – “kukuch”
• Czech Republic - “kukača”
• Romania – “kukul”
• Italy - "cuculo"

Latin name: Cuculus canorus

, comes from two words:
Cuculus (cuckoo) and canorus (melodic; from canere - to sing).
The most interesting features distinguish the common cuckoo:

• From year to year, the cuckoo returns to its previous place of residence, and precisely to its territorial area.
• The bird is subject to molting twice a year: partial - in summer and full - in winter.
• If it is impossible to lay an egg directly into the nest, the bird can lay it nearby, and then, taking it in its beak, deliver it to the nest of the chosen future parents.

There have been cases of laying eggs in this way even in tree hollows.

How cuckoos raise their chicks

Reproductive habits vary among species. Some cuckoos do not hatch their eggs for long. Others abandon their young before they even learn to fly. Others care for the young in the same way as other birds.

The most well-known rearing strategy is nest parasitism, discussed above. Another interesting breeding habit: several females lay eggs in a communal nest. All members of the group build a nest, incubate eggs and raise chicks.

Habits of an interesting cuckoo bird: description

Habits of an interesting cuckoo bird
The cuckoo leads a diurnal but secretive lifestyle. She is very careful, hides among the branches of tall trees and flies away when people approach. Most of the time the cuckoo is engaged in obtaining food, living in dense thickets, only occasionally descending to the ground for prey. Due to the structural features of its paws, the bird practically does not move on the ground and leaves no traces there. But she feels great in the air, her flight is distinguished by ease and swiftness. Here is another description of the habits of the interesting cuckoo bird:

• She is silent for the vast majority of the year and prefers a lonely, solitary existence.
• This way of life is disrupted only during courtship, from the end of spring until almost the end of summer.
• At this point, the birds begin to show interest in each other, forming seasonal pairs.
• During mating games, fierce fights between males occur. The birds become noisy, spreading their tails like a fan, trying to attract the attention of females.
• The famous “coo-coo, peek-a-boo” is the dominant mating song of the male.
• Females also sing during this period, but their singing is compared to a gurgling trill or a low vibrating whistle.

The birds' songs are loud, audible at a distance of two kilometers, long and sonorous for the male, quieter for the female. The couple’s relationship is characterized by romanticism: in gratitude for the choice, the male gives his chosen one a stem or twig.

LEXICAL TOPIC “MIGRATION BIRDS”.

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CHILDREN SHOULD KNOW THE NOUNS: rook, starling, swallow, swift, cuckoo, crane, geese, swans, lark, thrush, nest, birdhouse, male, female, chicks, eggs, singer, insects, larvae, plumage, flock, countries, legs , neck, wing, eyes, tail, beak, head, stork, heron.

VERBS: fly, fly away, arrive, return, build, clean, set aside, curl, hatch, hatch, feed, grow up, get stronger, squeak, sing, curl, leave, say goodbye, gather, eat, peck, destroy, curl, nip, glue, blind.

ADJECTIVES: big, small, singing, black, warm (edges), white, striped, caring, busy, spring, strangers, fluffy, ringing, field, distant, beautiful, long-legged, waterfowl, agile, vociferous.

LET'S TELL ABOUT BIRDS. Migratory birds are birds that fly from us in the fall to warmer regions. These birds are insectivores (eat insects) and feed on insects.

In the fall, insects hide, the birds have nothing to eat, so they fly away.

Ducks, geese and swans fly away in a line - a string.

Swallows and starlings fly away in a flock.

Cranes fly away in a wedge - an angle.

And the cuckoos fly away one by one. In spring, migratory birds return to us.

Birds have a head with a beak, a body with two wings, two legs with claws, a tail and plumage.

CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY EXCESS AND EXPLAIN: WHY? Magpie, crow, tit, swallow (swallow is a migratory bird, the rest are wintering). Lark, sparrow, rook, starling. Crow, duck, dove, sparrow. Rook, tit, swallow, cuckoo. Magpie, sparrow, woodpecker, swift. Dove, swan, heron, crane.

Beetle, butterfly, chick, mosquito (chick is a bird, other insects).

CORRECTLY NAME CHICKENS: Cranes are crane babies. Rooks - rooks. Geese are goslings. Starlings are starlings. Ducks -…. Cuckoos - ... . Swifts - ... .

CORRECTLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS: WHOSE? WHOSE? WHOSE? WHOSE? Whose beak? The crane has a crane-like appearance. The goose has goose. The duck has…. The cuckoo has…. The rook has….

ONE IS MANY. Cuckoo - cuckoos. Crane - cranes. Starling - starlings. Nightingale - nightingales. Lark - larks. Swan - swans. Rook - rooks. Duck - ducks. Swallow - swallows. Rook - rooks. Stork - storks. Gosling - goslings.

WHO VOICES: The cuckoo cuckoos. The swallow is chirping. The starling sings. The crane is cooing. The duck quacks. The goose cackles.

DESCRIBE AND COMPARE BIRDS ACCORDING TO PLAN: Wintering or migratory bird? Why are they called that? Appearance (tail, head, wings, body, beak, feathers, colors...) What does it eat? Where he lives - a hollow, a birdhouse, a nest...

COMPILATION OF A DESCRIPTIVE STORY. The rook is a black bird with a white beak. The rook has a head, body, wings, tail, and paws. The bird's entire body is covered with feathers. In the spring, rooks fly from warm countries, build nests and hatch chicks - rooks. Rooks feed on insects, worms and plant seeds. In the fall, when it gets cold, rooks gather in flocks and fly away to warm countries until spring. Rooks help humans; they destroy insects and caterpillars - pests of fields and vegetable gardens.

The grass is turning green, the sun is shining, the Swallow is flying towards us in the canopy in the spring. With her, the sun is more beautiful and spring is sweeter... Say hello to us from the road as soon as possible. I’ll give you grains, and you sing a song that you brought with you from distant lands. (A. Pleshcheev)

SAY A WORD. There is a palace on the pole, in the palace there is a singer, and his name is ... (starling).

CALL IT TENDINGLY: Nightingale - nightingale. Crane - crane. Swan - swan...

WHO has WHO? The cuckoo has a cuckoo, cuckoo. The crane has a baby crane, crane babies. The starling has a little birdling, starlings. The swan has a baby, swans. The rook has a rook, rooks. The duck has a duckling, ducklings. The stork has a baby stork, baby storks. The goose has a gosling, goslings.

END THE SENTENCE WITH THE WORDS “LONG-LEGGED CRANE”: In the field I saw ... (long-legged crane). I watched for a long time... (long-legged crane). I really liked this beautiful and slender... (long-legged crane). I wanted to approach... (long-legged crane). But he got scared and flew away. He flew beautifully, spreading his wings and circling in the sky... (long-legged crane). I told my mother about... (long-legged crane). Mom said that you shouldn’t come up and scare... (the long-legged crane). I promised my mother not to approach... (the long-legged crane) anymore. Now I will only watch from afar... (long-legged crane).

CHOOSE THE PREPOSITION RIGHT BY MEANING (FROM, IN, TO, OVER, ON, ON): The rook flew out... nest. The rook has arrived... nest. The rook flew up... to the nest. The rook is circling... with his nest. The rook sat down... on a branch. The rook walks ... arable land.

WE IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO RELL.

RETELL THE STORY ACCORDING TO THE QUESTIONS: The rooks have arrived. The rooks arrive first. There is still snow all around, but they are already here. The rooks will rest and begin to build nests. Rooks build nests on the top of a tall tree. Rooks hatch their chicks earlier than other birds.

Which birds arrive first in spring? What do the rooks immediately begin to do? Where do they build their nests? When do they hatch their chicks?

Harbingers of spring. The cold winter has passed. Spring is coming. The sun is rising higher. It heats up more. The rooks have arrived. The children saw them and shouted: “The rooks have arrived! The Rooks Have Arrived!"

What was the winter like? What comes after winter? How does the sun warm in spring? Who has arrived? Who did the children see? What did they shout?

RETELL THE STORY IN THE FIRST PERSON: Sasha decided to make a birdhouse. He took boards, a saw, and sawed the planks. From them he put together a birdhouse. The birdhouse was hung on a tree. May the starlings have a good home.

COMPLETE THE SENTENCE: There is a nest on the tree, and on the trees... (nests). There are branches on the branch, and on the branches... . There is a chick in the nest, and in the nests - .... There is a tree in the yard, and in the forest - ....

GUESS THE RIDDLES: Without hands, without an axe. A hut has been built. (Nest.)

He appeared in a yellow fur coat, Goodbye, two shells. (Chick.)

There is a palace on a pole, There is a singer in the courtyard, And his name is... (Starling.)

White-billed, black-eyed, He walks importantly behind the plow, Finds worms and beetles. A faithful watchman, a friend of the fields. The first harbinger of warm days. (Rook.)

READ THE POEMS ABOUT BIRDS, LEARN ONE OF THEM BY MORE. Starlings. We even got up at night and looked out of the window into the garden: Well, when, well, when will our guests arrive? And today we looked - a starling was sitting on an alder tree. They arrived, they arrived,

We've finally arrived!

Bird of the cuckoo family: what does it eat?

Bird of the cuckoo family
cuckoo family is omnivorous birds. They can eat food of both animal and plant origin. What do they eat? The main part of the animal diet consists of insects:

• Caterpillars
• Beetles
• Mosquitoes
• Grasshoppers
• Slugs
• Ticks
• Spiders
• Ant larvae
• Snails
• Butterflies
• Worms

In addition to insects, certain types of cuckoos prey on young lizards, snakes, frogs, small rodents, and they are not averse to feasting on bird eggs. And, although cuckoos prefer animal food, their diet may include fruits of various shrubs and trees. Worth knowing:

• Cuckoos, unlike other birds, are able to use poisonous insects as food, including hairy caterpillars covered with poisonous chitinous hairs.
• The venom of the caterpillars is destructive to almost all birds; only cuckoos and orioles eat them.
• They have adapted to remove the poisonous gut of an insect before eating it.
• Cuckoos, although small, are very voracious birds.
• They devote all their free time to searching and eating food.
• And if it were not for the cuckoos, which are capable of destroying one and a half thousand caterpillars, beetles and larvae per day, the trees would be left without foliage. Their excessive appetite helps to accumulate subcutaneous fat necessary for flight during migration.

Cuckoos look out for their prey while sitting on a tree. Having good eyesight, they are able to see it at a distance of 45 m . Cuckoos are able to catch and eat an insect both on the fly and by picking it up from a tree or ground.

Enemies

Adults have practically no enemies, thanks to the cuckoo's dexterity in maneuvering and its external similarity to birds of prey. However, cuckoos are afraid of orioles, gray flycatchers, warblers and shrikes - sometimes they attack their chicks, which have just left their foster home. Young cuckoos have weak wings and do not yet have sufficient experience and dexterity.

It is also dangerous for them to let small predators get close to them, but adult individuals extremely rarely become victims of cats or weasels, since they do not approach the ground at all, only to grab their prey.

Crows and jays destroy nests, killing chicks and eating eggs. And this may well turn out to be the nest into which the cuckoo threw its egg, so one cannot assume that the cuckoo chicks are completely safe in someone else’s nest. This is confirmed by the fact that in a season, out of 20 eggs laid by a female cuckoo, only 4-5 chicks survive.

What bird looks like a cuckoo?

The dove is similar to the cuckoo.
The cuckoo has similar features to many birds. What bird looks like a cuckoo?

• Even in ancient times, its resemblance to a hawk was noted. Indeed, the appearance of the bird: the color of the plumage, the shape of the head and the flight style are reminiscent of a falcon or a hawk. This similarity helps the cuckoo to scare away birds in whose nests it intends to lay its eggs.
• The bird resembles a pigeon in size, but has a more aristocratic build.

The structure of the cuckoo's paws with diametrically opposite toes makes it similar to woodpeckers, owls or parrots.

Cuckoos – bird photo

And so that next time you can definitely identify a cuckoo in the forest or outside the city, catch a large photo gallery!

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Which trees does the cuckoo like to sing on: birch

The cuckoo loves to sing on the birch tree.
As you know, the cuckoo sings only during courtship, therefore its singing places are limited to the zone of subsequent distribution of laid eggs. In which trees does the cuckoo like to sing?

This cautious bird prefers to settle in mixed forests. Observing silence and caution, the cuckoo can be seen at the forest edge, sitting on a birch tree. The bird is also often spotted on larch, rowan, pine, and willow. If you see a tree with a lot of caterpillars in the forest, know that a cuckoo is nearby and will definitely come to the rescue.

Population and species status

To date, almost all representatives of this family have received the protection status of “Least Concern”, so this species of birds has no other statuses and this is not at all surprising.

Despite this optimism, the Bearded Cuckoo has found itself on the brink of extinction as these birds have lost their traditional habitats. Nowadays, experts are thinking about how to recreate the numbers of these birds, returning the indicators to previous levels.

Features of the appearance of the cuckoo

The not particularly impressive size of the cuckoo bird and its unremarkable appearance often causes disappointment. The color is light gray, with longitudinal white stripes throughout the body. The weight of the bird is on average 130-140 grams. It is slightly larger in size than a dove.

Female individuals are distinguished by a reddish color and smaller size. The body length reaches 40 centimeters, the tail takes up almost half of this figure.

According to the description, the cuckoo looks like a hawk in a reduced form, this helps them scare off enemies and better survive in the wild.