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  In flight

Cuckoos & Turacos

Common Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

• common
• 48 km/h
• Starter
• Least Concern

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Population

Roughly 25-100 million individuals globally (Europe alone hosts an estimated 12.6-25.8 million breeding pairs); declining trend

Habitat

Open and semi-open habitats including farmland, moorland, reed beds, open woodland, scrub, and heathland

Fun fact

The Common Cuckoo is an obligate brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of over 100 host species, with females in a given genetic lineage ("gens") mimicking that host's egg coloration; the newly hatched chick instinctively evicts the host's own eggs or chicks by pushing them out of the nest on its back.

Range

Breeds across most of Europe and temperate Asia (Ireland to Japan, south to North Africa); migrates to winter in sub-Saharan Africa (some Asian/subspecies populations winter in South/Southeast Asia)

Diet

Primarily insects, especially hairy caterpillars that many other birds avoid; occasionally eats other invertebrates, small eggs, and nestlings

Size

0.33 m

Wingspan

0.58 m

Lifespan

7 years