A cuckoo is a summer visitor to Britain, arriving from Africa in late March and April. They are famous for laying their eggs in other birds’ nests, fooling them into raising their young. Dunnocks, meadow pipits and reed warblers are common victims of this. Young cuckoo chicks grow much bigger than their unsuspecting foster parents and will often push any other eggs out of the nest. Young and adult cuckoos like to eat all kinds of insects, but hairy caterpillars are their favourites!
How to identify
Cuckoos are sometimes mistaken for sparrowhawks due to their markings: blue-grey backs and heads, with striped, dark grey and white undersides. They have long tails and pointed wings and a hawk-like shape in flight.
Did you know?
Young cuckoos often grow much bigger than their host parents, so they require a lot more food and attention than the host's rightful chicks. To this end, they will push their host's eggs or chicks out of the nest.
