Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

The Cuckoo is a Spring vistor to the Common arriving in April most years having spent our winter in sub-  Saharan Africa.  The males arrive back first and will spend a week or two holding territory singing away with their familiar “Cuckoo” call to attract a passing female who will arrive a little afterwards.    If they succesfully mate the female will lay a single egg in the nest of another species such as Dunnock, Reed Warbler and Meadow Pipit.   Hartlebury Common holds large numbers of Dunnocks, providing ideal nest opportunities for the parasitic Cuckoo.   On laying it’s egg in the nest of it’s host species the adult Cuckoo has nothing more to do with it and let the surrogate parent raise their young.   On hatching the young cuckoo quickly throws out its non-related siblings so that the host bird puts all it’s effort into feeding and raising this single youngster.  A Cuckoo’s call can be heard by clicking on the following link:

Cuckoo Call