The cuckoo is a migratory bird or not. cuckoo bird

In spring or early summer, everyone heard the mysterious crowing in the forest or park. But few have seen this vociferous bird, indistinguishable among the branches and cautious in habits. Features of bird singing are reflected in the name, and in different European languages. A slightly sad “cuckoo” is even associated with guessing fate.

Features and habitat of the cuckoo

Despite the fateful significance of singing cuckoo, bird description not impressive: small in size, barely larger than a dove. The plumage is gray-white, with transverse stripes along the body, the tail is long, and the paws are covered with feathers with two front toes and two back ones. The weight is only 100 grams, and the length is about 40 cm. The appearance of the bird resembles a hawk or other predator, this similarity helps them survive.

When the cuckoo sings, it sways slightly in different directions and spreads and lifts its tail. Familiar sounds are made by the male, calling for a girlfriend and notifying neighbors that the territory is occupied. The voice of the female cuckoo is different, a bit like laughter. Hearing it, no one will count the years.

The distribution of cuckoos is extensive: throughout Europe, Africa, Asia. Its presence is associated with passerine species, which are widespread. Attachment is explained by the tossing of eggs, but this is not the only thing that promotes migration.

Forests, steppes, taiga are inhabited cuckoos, migratory birds. Since April, they gradually appear in our places, and already in July they gather in South Africa from the western regions, and from the east to China or India. It is interesting that old birds fly away first, and later, by September, young ones. In this way, cuckoo winter bird warm countries.

There are several main subspecies, but the "common cuckoo", what bird widespread and recognizable by its characteristic singing, they live in the meadows and fields familiar to us, surrounded by hills, among reeds along the edges of swampy places.

Among the mountains they are found at an altitude of up to 2,500 m, and sometimes up to 4,000 m. Birds do not like desert areas, dense thickets, tundra and noisy city buildings. In places of strangers, birds choose places similar in relief to their native ones. In the spring, they rush to return to familiar territories.

The nature and lifestyle of the cuckoo

Studying cuckoo behavior is a thankless task. It is secretive and cautious, leaving almost no traces of activity. Loudly announces the presence, but does not allow you to conduct surveillance. Can't distinguish many bird calls, cuckoo even a child will know.

In the photo, an ordinary cuckoo

The bird is not adapted to the movement on the ground. If it descends for prey, then it hurries to fly back. Two-toed paws clumsily carry the cuckoo, whose step alternates with a jump. The required distance slips to the target so that even paw marks do not remain. A selected caterpillar or worm is a reward for the inconvenience of moving.

Cuckoos live apart, tend to create pairs only temporarily for the mating season. The territory of each bird is commensurate with its size and age. The male may “give way” to the female a little, but he protects the site from others and loudly notifies everyone.

cuckoo food

The diet of birds is rich various insects. By exterminating pests, cuckoos bring great benefits agriculture. Despite the modest size, food consumption is much more active than that of close relatives. In a day, one bird can absorb up to 1500 caterpillars, 15 lizards, 30 grasshoppers, 40 cabbage worms. And this is not the limit.

The well-known voracity of cuckoos is a big problem for breadwinners-guardians. In addition to insects, their larvae, beetles, eggs of other birds, frogs, earthworms, slugs become food for vociferous birds.

The cuckoo loves to eat dragonflies and grasshoppers caught from an ambush. Observation ends with a swift throw with the capture of prey and return to the post. Eating caterpillars is a real ritual. First, the head of the victim is broken, then the contents of the intestine are shaken out through active rotation in the air, only then the prey is swallowed.

Reproduction and lifespan

The spring mating dances of the cuckoos come with a touch of romance. The male, like a fan, waves his tail and calls the cuckoo. The lowered head and wings are a sign of recognition and call. The brought twig or stalk conquers the female completely.

It is known that cuckoo bird's nest- always different. Her concern is to provide the offspring with a reliable foster parent among other birds. The explanation for this is simple: the deferred amount will not be able to save cuckoo bird, eggs numerous, and each needs his guardian.

Throwing is done thoughtfully and carefully. First, the bird observes the "guardian's" nest, waits for the moment of access and leaves cuckoo eggs instead of the host ones, simply throwing them away. For some time, the female observes the behavior of the owners of the nest. When she is convinced that the egg is accepted, then she leaves the post.

Cuckoo eggs are relatively small in relation to the size of the bird itself. Therefore, many adoptive parents» do not notice the substitution, and the arrival of the female frightens them with the similarity of her color with predators.

The cuckoo chick hatches in 11-12 days, usually earlier than others. The struggle for food explains their fighting behavior: they tend to push others out of the nest and grab more food.

Not always the history of foundlings develops successfully. City sparrows have learned to recognize thrown eggs and throw them away, other birds can leave the nest with someone else's gift. But the most patient parents nurture all.

Interestingly, the cuckoo seeks to lay an egg to the bird that raised it. Among reliable guardians are robin, white wagtail, garden redstart, forest hawk. Often, the sizes of adoptive parents are much more modest than the cuckoo pupil.

Experts note that if cuckoos took care of their offspring, the number of chicks and their gluttony would still exceed the capabilities of their parents. Therefore, their care has found another expression in nature.

The age of cuckoos in nature is on average from 5 to 10 years, and in captivity it is much longer - up to 25-40 years. Approximately so much lives a free dove, comparable in average size. Although cuckoos look like small hawks, their life is a completely different story.

A cuckoo is a bird from the subclass neopalatine, the cuckoo family, or cuckoo (lat. Cuculidae). The article provides a description of the family.

The word "cuckoo" comes from the sonorous "cuckoo" pronounced by a bird. Its name is similar in many nations: kukuvitsa - in Bulgaria, kukačka - in the Czech Republic, Kuckuck - in Germany, coucou - in France, cucul - in Romania, cuculo - in Italy, cuckoo - in Great Britain.

Cuckoo - description and photo. What does a cuckoo bird look like?

AT different parts light live, according to various sources, from 140 to 200 representatives of the cuckoo family. The sizes of birds vary from less than 20 cm to 60-70 cm. In most cuckoos, the body length does not exceed 40 cm, and the weight is about 100 g. Maximum weight the largest cuckoo, gigantic, is 0.93 kg.

The beak of the cuckoo is of medium size, slightly curved downwards, with smooth edges. Due to the wide cut of the beak, birds can catch insects on the fly, as well as swallow large prey. The eyes of birds are brown, red, yellow, hazel or brown. On the head of some species there is a crest.

The body of birds is thin. The tail is long, but its dimensions do not exceed the length of the wing. It can be stepped or rounded.

The wings of cuckoos are usually long and sharp, but in some species (for example, the ground cuckoo lat. Geococcyx californicus), the wings are short and weak.

The short legs of cuckoos can be yellow, orange, or red. The toes are directed in pairs: the first and fourth - back, the second and third - forward. Although, it happens that the fourth finger is also directed forward.

The plumage of cuckoos is hard, there is little fluff. Feathers on the legs are long, forming "trousers". In coloring there are gray, white, brown, red, rusty and ocher colors.

The body is mostly darker above, while the belly and undertail are lighter or white. Often the plumage is not monophonic, but with mottled, more or less pronounced stripes may be present on the throat and abdomen. Males and females of many species are similar in color.

Cuckoos fly very fast, these birds are very mobile, noisy and voracious. They are in motion almost all the time and sleep little. Some types of cuckoos fly little, but move quickly on the ground.

cuckoo cry

Usually cuckoos make sounds during the mating season. AT temperate latitudes they can be heard in spring and summer. In common cuckoos, the usual "cuckoo" or "cuckoo" is emitted by males. Before cuckooing, which sounds loud and can be heard from a distance, males can make a quiet sound, similar to laughter: “hha-ha-ha”. Birds can cuckoo for a long time, up to 60 times in a row. The voice of the female sounds like a trill: “ke-ke-ke”, “kli-kli-kli”, “bil-bil-bil”. outside mating season these birds are silent. At different types cuckoo sounds differ: for example, a deaf cuckoo pronounces a deaf “boo-boo-boo-boo” or “doo-doo-doo”, the call of a koel sounds like “kooel”, the larvae ani shouts “ani-ani”, etc.

Where does the cuckoo live?

The habitat of cuckoos covers all continents, with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic. Birds are found in Asia, Africa, Russia, North and South America, and Australia. They are common in forests and steppes. European countries and even capture southern part tundra. Cuckoos living in Europe and northern parts of Asia are migratory. The largest number species lives in hot southern latitudes. Here the birds lead a sedentary or nomadic lifestyle.

Cuckoos live in reeds, bushes, woody vegetation, some species are found and nest on the ground. The habitat of the cuckoo extends from the lowlands and coastlines of the sea to the highland forests, where the number of passerine birds is declining and, consequently, the number of cuckoos is decreasing.

What does a cuckoo eat?

The diet of cuckoos is varied. Some species are carnivorous and feed exclusively on insects and their larvae (stick insects, cicadas, termites), while other species also feed on plants. In addition, cuckoos eat, including poisonous (for example), small reptiles (), amphibians (), small mammals (), worms, crabs, bird eggs. There are species that feed mainly on berries, fruits and seeds. Unlike many other birds, the stomach of cuckoos allows them to eat furry things (for example, gypsy moth), whose body is covered with bristles. Cuckoos bring invaluable benefits to the forest, eating pests in huge quantities, which are capable of completely destroying the leaves on the trees in a short time. As a result of such feeding, the stomach of birds is completely studded with bristles, but cuckoos periodically regurgitate them along with gastric mucus.

Cuckoo life span

It is believed that the cuckoo lives on average 5-10 years. But there are cases when some individuals lived up to 35 and even up to 40 years.

Types of cuckoos, names and photos

Below is a description of several varieties of cuckoos from the Cuculidae family.

• common cuckoo(lat.Cuculus canorus) - a widespread species that lives in Russia (from the Urals to Kamchatka in the east and the borders of the tundra in the north), in Europe (everywhere, except for the extreme north), in Asia (in Turkey, the Caucasus, China, Korea, Japan, in some places in Central Asia). Common cuckoos are migratory birds. They winter in Central and South Africa, South Arabia, South Asia, reaching Australia.

The body length of the bird reaches 33-40 cm. The wing length of females varies from 20 to 23 cm, for males - from 21.5 to 25 cm. The tail is long - 15-19 cm, rounded, stepped. Beak - 1.6 - 2.4 cm in length. Common cuckoos weigh from 80 to 120 g. The color of plumage in males and females, as well as in young, adult and old individuals, varies. Males are colored in shades gray flowers, with a white or light gray belly and undertail, on which there are transverse stripes. Older females are colored in the same way, but have a brown tint. In young females, rusty-red tones predominate in coloration, bright black or red stripes are present on the abdomen, throat and undertail, and buffy streaks may be on the loins and wings. The edges of the eyelids and the eyes of all individuals are yellow. Only in young ones they are brown, and in red females they are hazel.

Common cuckoos cause harm by reducing the number of birds in whose nests they throw their eggs. But the benefits they bring are immeasurably greater. Eating huge amounts of hairy caterpillars, they save forests from this terrible enemy.

• Little cuckoo(lat.Cuculus poliocephalus) - a species that lives in the south of Primorye of Russia and in Asia: in the Himalayas (from the borders with Afghanistan to the north of Myanmar), in the north of China, in Korea, in the north of Japan. Small cuckoos winter in South China, India, on the Indochina peninsula. Some subspecies are found in Madagascar, the Sunda Islands, in South Africa.

By appearance and the color of the small cuckoo resembles an ordinary one, but differs from it in small sizes: the wing is 15-17.1 cm long, the tail is 13-14.9 cm, the metatarsus is 1.7-1.9 cm, the beak is 1.7-1.9 see Young individuals of the small cuckoo differ from the young of the common cuckoo by whitish transverse spots on the outer flight feathers and a smaller amount of black-brown. The eyes of young and old birds are brown.

The little cuckoo makes a five- or six-syllable cry that sounds like “wee-wee, wee-wee.”

• Yellow-billed American cuckoo(lat. Coccyzus americanus) It got its name from the yellowish color of the mandible and thin, curved beak, as well as from the habitat. This species nests in North America and winters in the South.

The body size of a carnivorous bird is small, but the tail is long. From above, the cuckoo is colored brownish with a bronze tint, the abdomen and stripe on the tail are white.

These cuckoos can lay eggs in other people's nests, but mostly incubate the eggs themselves. The laying time is very extended. The nest may contain both eggs and chicks ready to fly. In total, the cuckoo lays up to 10 eggs in a nest that she builds herself.

The yellow-billed cuckoo calls just like the common cuckoo, only louder. In general, this bird is very secretive. She often gives her voice before the rain, for which she received the nickname of the rain bird.

• California ground cuckoo (California running cuckoo, California plantain cuckoo)(lat.Geococcyx californianus) - This is a rather large bird, reaching a length of 60 cm. It has a large tail and high strong legs, but small and weak wings. The plantain cuckoo has a very peculiar appearance and nondescript color. Her back is brown with white-red spots, her belly is whitish, and the lower part of her throat is black-and-white. The bird's head is decorated with a modest crest. The unfeathered skin of her face is dark blue, but it stands out brightly on it. orange spot behind the eyes. large beak equal to length bird heads.

The plantain cuckoo lives in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, in arid, sparsely populated places: in cactus thickets on mountain slopes and on plains. It flies poorly and rarely, but it runs well, reaching speeds of up to 42 km / h. She spends most of her life like a chicken, on the ground. Here she is looking for food - insects, small vertebrates (lizards, mice, etc.). Among the bushes on the ground, the plantain cuckoo builds its nest, using branches and blades of grass to make it.

The female lays 3-9 eggs white color, incubating them with the male in turn.

The body length of the gigantic cuckoo reaches 66 cm, and the bird weighs up to 930 g. Distinctive feature This species has a large, curved beak. The wings and tail are long, like all members of the family. The plumage is mostly grey, ranging from ash and dark gray on the back and wings to light gray on the belly, chest and flanks. The ends of the wings are black, the bottom of the tail and sides are in black transverse stripes. The skin around the eyes is naked, reddish or brownish in color. The beak is gray at the base and light at the end. Eyes are brown in juveniles and red in adults.

Giant cuckoos in their range lead a nomadic or migratory lifestyle. They live in mangroves, on the edges and outskirts of forests (where eucalyptus, figs grow), along rivers and sea coasts.

Giant cuckoos eat various fruits (figs, mistletoe, mulberries), insects (butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, stick insects), eggs and newborn chicks, as well as carrion. Eggs are laid mainly in the nests of various birds from the corvid family (, jackdaws), as well as the collared hawk and the Australian hawk. The voice of the gigantic cuckoo sounds like “kuak” followed by long and quickening whistles, or like a gurgling “klu-klu-klu”.

• Red-billed ground cuckoo (lat.Carpococcyx renauldi) - species leading a terrestrial lifestyle. Habitat - Indochina Peninsula (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos).

Red-billed cuckoos hatch their own chicks. They nest both in trees and on the ground. They feed on small vertebrates.

The body length of the bird is 68 cm. Their plumage is light gray. The neck and tail are dark. The beak and legs are reddish in color. The eyes are yellow. The feathers around the eyes are blue and the skin is purple.

• Koel (koel)(lat.Eudynamys scolopaceus) - a cuckoo that lives in Asia - in the Southeast, in India and China, as well as in Australia. It got its name due to the sounds made by males: “koo-her, koo-spruce”.

The bird has a very long tail, which is almost half the length of the body, which is approximately 42 cm. Males and females are brightly colored, but differ from each other. Males are blue-black with a green tint, females are bronze-brown with white spots.

Koels lead a secretive way of life, they are found in the crowns of tall trees, in case of danger they hide among the foliage. The diet of these birds consists almost exclusively of fruits and berries, which they feed on in the forest or in gardens. These include figs, jujube, mulberry, papaya, guava, capers, tamarind, etc. Insects, bird eggs and snails make up a small part of the diet.

• Pheasant cuckoo(lat. Centropus phasianinus) - a representative of the genus of spur cuckoos, living in western Indonesia, in Australia, in papua new guinea. Lives in forests with dense undergrowth and swampy places in tall, dense grass.

This large bird reaches 70 cm in length and has a long tail. Plumage color - gray-brown.

• Guira (guira) (lat.guira guira) - South American cuckoo, which is found south of the Amazonian lowland and east of the Andes. It is found in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina.

The bird is of medium size (35-40 cm), lives on tall trees, she builds nests and hatches chicks. The plumage of the guira has a gray-brown hue. The beak is yellow at the base and orange at the end. On the head of adults there is a crest.

• Furrow-billed ani (lat.Crotophaga sulcirostris) - a bird from the cuckoo family that lives in the north South America and islands caribbean. Its name reflects external signs: grooves running along the large curved beak, and the sound made by the bird - "ani-ani".

Furrow-billed anis eat insects, worms, and catch mollusks in coastal areas. Their diet also includes plant foods.

In length, they reach 33 cm with a mass of 70-80 g. The plumage of the furrow-billed ani is black, with a purple tint. The tail is black, long, with a bluish tinge. The eyes and legs are grey.

These cuckoos are distinguished by the fact that they build nests together, hatch chicks and take care of them together. The nest of the furrowed ani is a bowl lined with leaves, which is located near the trunk of a tree at a height of human growth and rests on lateral branches. In such a bowl-shaped structure, there can be from 15 to 50 eggs. Ani fly little and poorly, while moving on the ground quite briskly. Birds prefer open spaces, hiding in the forest only from rain. Noticing the danger, they quickly hide in the bushes.

Everyone knows cuckoos well. And if someone didn’t see it with their own eyes (it’s not so easy to see a cuckoo), then they heard it when visiting the forest in spring or early summer. It is enough to hear the voice of the cuckoo once to immediately understand why she was given such a name. And so the bird is called not only in Russian. The Germans call this bird "Kukuk". French - "kuku". In Romania it is called "cook". In Italy - "doll". In Spanish, her name sounds "kuko", and in Turkish - "guguk".

The cuckoo is very careful: looking for suitable nests from an ambush in advance, she chooses the moment and lays her egg in it in a few seconds. Some scientists claim that at the same time the cuckoo removes the egg from the nest. But if you think about it - why would she do that? First, birds can't count; secondly, a completely different situation soon appears in the nest: instead of several, there is one chick; thirdly, the cuckoo throws out all its competitors, and it does not matter to him whether one more or one less. Finally, cuckoos lay their eggs not only in open nests. And it is not always possible to extract someone else's egg from a hollow or nest, even for purely technical reasons. By the way, the cuckoo does not lay an egg in closed nests - she lays it somewhere nearby on the ground and transfers it to a nest in her beak. If, nevertheless, the observers saw how the cuckoo removes the egg (there is no reason to doubt their veracity), then this was probably dictated by some special circumstances.

There is another opinion regarding the way the cuckoo lays eggs in other people's nests. It is believed that the bird is not cautious, but, on the contrary, acts very brazenly. Outwardly - both in contour and in color - it looks like a hawk. Flying low over the nest, the "hawk" cuckoo frightens the birds, forcing them to hide in the bushes or foliage, while she herself lays an egg at this time. They also say that the male helps the female in laying eggs - he scares or distracts the owners of the nest.

Having thrown eggs into several nests, one in each (and there are 10 and 25 eggs in a cuckoo), the cuckoo calmly goes to South Africa for the winter (adult cuckoos fly away very early, young ones - late). And tragedy is played out in the nests.

The cuckoo hatches from the egg a day or two earlier than its stepbrothers and sisters. This time is enough for him to get comfortable in the nest. He is still blind (the cuckoo's eyes open on the fifth day), still naked (but already strong enough - he weighs three grams, and can lift twice as much). But he already has an instinct to throw away: he throws out any object that he touches with his bare back. Such items are primarily the eggs or chicks of the nest owners. Throwing them on its back - the cuckoo even has a special platform on its back - and helping itself with its bare wings, the cuckoo chick in short term"clears" the nest for itself. The cuckoo is in a hurry - the ejection instinct acts for three or four days, then subsides. If he does not have time to throw out his competitors during this time, the chicks will remain in the nest. But all the same, they are doomed: the cuckoo will intercept all the food that the "foster parents" will bring.

And the "foster parents" do not seem to notice the changes that are taking place in their nest. They feed a single chick with amazing zeal, although they could have long understood that in front of them is not their chick at all. Aristotle drew attention to this amazing phenomenon. "The cuckoo is so beautiful that its breadwinners begin to hate their own children," he wrote. The real reason such "devotion" became known relatively recently, thanks to the research of the famous Dutch scientist N. Tinenbergen. It turns out that the bright red throat and yellow mouth of the cuckoo is a signal, and a very powerful one, forcing not only "foster parents" to feed him, but also "foreign" birds that are nearby, give the cuckoo food caught for their own chicks. At the same time, no one notices or takes into account the colossal size of the chick. Feeding birds sometimes sit on the back or on the head of their fosterling, thrusting their heads entirely into his wide-open mouth.

Only a month and a half after leaving the nest, the cuckoo begins to lead an independent life.

Cuckoos for the most part lay their eggs in the nests of small birds. But some species throw them into the nests of crows, jackdaws and other fairly large birds. But in any case, each cuckoo specializes in certain birds - robins or redstarts, warblers or flycatchers. And the eggs of specialized cuckoos are similar in shape and color to the eggs of these birds. As for the size of the eggs - and here is another phenomenon. The cuckoo weighs 100-120 grams, and her egg should weigh 15 grams. And she lays eggs weighing 3 grams, such as those of a bird weighing 10-12 grams.

Once in England, an exhibition of cuckoo eggs collected in 76 nests of different bird species was organized. Presented were 919 eggs of various colors, colors and sizes. But not all eggs were presented. Cuckoos are known to lay their eggs in the nests of at least 150 bird species.

It would seem that everything is clear, cuckoos are very harmful birds that destroy the chicks of many useful birds. And from here one could draw an appropriate conclusion and treat these birds accordingly. But it's too early to draw a conclusion. Let's look at it from a different point of view.

First, let's not blame the cuckoo for being bad mother. There are different opinions regarding what causes cuckoos to throw eggs into other people's nests. But one thing is certain: this behavior of the cuckoo is explained not by the lack of maternal feelings, but, on the contrary, by concern for the preservation of its offspring. The cuckoo cannot save its life without throwing competitors out of the nest: its "adoptive parents" are not able to feed the whole family - the cuckoo is very voracious. And this bird's insatiability (if we talk about harm and benefit) atones for its guilt for the death of the chicks of other birds. An adult cuckoo can eat up to 100 caterpillars in an hour, and it can "work" with such intensity for several hours in a row. And if a lot of pests appear in the forest where the cuckoo lives, she will eat them without interruption until she eats them all. Many cuckoos flock to the "feast", they even fly from afar. In other words, one cuckoo destroys significantly more harmful insects (and more dangerous insects) than all the birds killed by the cuckoo would destroy..

But gluttony is not the only virtue of cuckoos. Among insects, especially among caterpillars, there are those that other birds do not eat, for example, many birds do not eat "hairy" caterpillars. And the cuckoo eats, and with great pleasure. Her stomach is arranged in such a way that the "hair" of the caterpillars sticks into a special coating of the walls, and then this coating is removed from the stomach along with the "hair".

When using site materials, it is necessary to put active links to this site, visible to users and search robots.

Probably, every person at least once in his life heard the call of a cuckoo or even saw this bird. But many know almost nothing about this one about her, although the life of the cuckoo bird is very interesting and different from the way of life of other birds.

Despite its ability to make loud sounds over long distances, the cuckoo is a relatively small bird: its body length is about 40 cm, and its weight is only 100 g. At the same time, the feathered beauty has a beautiful long tail with a white tip.

Depending on the sex, cuckoos differ somewhat in appearance: in males, almost the entire body is gray, in females it is red, in young animals it is grayish or rusty-brown. Their eyes, like the eyes of birds of prey, are yellow, the same color as their paws.

The cuckoo can be found almost everywhere in the world - it lives in Europe, and in some parts of Africa, and in Asia. It is absent only on some southern islands. This is due to the fact that she lays her eggs in sparrow nests, and sparrows, as you know, can be found all over the world. She lives in forests, and in the steppes, and in the taiga.

The cuckoo is a migratory bird: every autumn it flies either to South Africa or to Asia around China and India. Interestingly, these birdies do not stay long in hot countries, and already in early March they rush to fly back. At the same time, for some reason, the cuckoos are in no hurry to return to their native lands and can even fly back only at the beginning of May!

The cuckoo feeds on insects - both adults and their larvae. She is able to eat even beetles and bird eggs. Both young cuckoos and their parents consume great amount food compared to small body size. Because of this, birds that feed cuckoo “foundlings” suffer greatly. However, in addition to harm, the cuckoo also brings great benefits to agriculture, eating insects on a significant scale.

Feathered beauties differ not only in color, but also in voice: males, unlike females, cuckoo for a long time and loudly.

Listen to the voice of the cuckoo

Cuckoos live both in trees and on the ground. Most birdies leave their young to other birds, but ground birds always build their own nests.

The common cuckoo, for example, lays a large number of eggs that she can't grow. Because of this, she throws eggs to other birds. First, the cuckoo watches the construction of the nest of "adoptive parents" of its future children, then it lays eggs, and then, while the birds have flown away to hunt, it throws them to them, throwing out the rest of the eggs so that other birds do not notice the substitution.

After ten days, small cuckoos are born. Having been born earlier than the rest of the chicks, the cuckoo seeks to throw everyone out of the nest - both eggs and already hatched cubs. They do this for a reason: cuckoos strive to get as much food as possible.

“Foster parents”, not noticing the absence of their own children, bring food exclusively to the remaining cuckoo chick. Since the birds bring a lot of food to the "foundling", it grows very quickly and gains weight. Within three weeks, the cub grows to such a size that the small nest of "adoptive parents" becomes cramped for him. Then the cuckoo flies from the nest to the branch next to it.

Until the fortieth day of life, the young cuckoo, which can already fly, continues to feed from the "foster parents". After this time, the bird finally grows up, and, being a stronger bird, flies to Africa or Asia for the winter.

By the way, many types of cuckoos throw eggs only to one kind of birds. Even the color and size of cuckoo eggs are similar to those of "adoptive parents" eggs.

This article will talk about one very strange bird, which, with its surprisingly unusual behavior, differs from other birds. It's a cuckoo known for that she lays her eggs or throws them into the nests of other bird species.

You can find out about their features, about which nests the cuckoo lays its eggs in and what its chicks are, what they eat, by reading this article. But first let's give general information about them.

Many people know that female cuckoos shift all the worries about their offspring onto other people's shoulders, if I may say so, limiting themselves to searching for ready-made alien nests and throwing their eggs into them.

What is the name of the cuckoo chick? Cuckoo. This is what will be discussed in this article.

General information about the cuckoo

Different types of cuckoos differ in size. In most birds belonging to the cuckoo family, the weight barely reaches 100 grams, and the body length is no more than forty centimeters.

But for all representatives of this family, the presence of a rather long tail, strong paws and a thin body is characteristic. And the plumage, as a rule, does not differ in a particularly bright color. And sexual dimorphism in coloring is either poorly developed or absent altogether.

There are no cuckoos only in the Arctic and Antarctic. In general, their distribution area is wide throughout the globe especially loved by them warm countries. Some species that live in temperate latitudes are mostly migratory, while the rest are sedentary.

Description

Before we find out what a cuckoo chick is, let's describe its parents.

The size of a cuckoo is slightly Males and most of the females have an ash-gray color of the head and upper body. The underside has a striated color (“hawk” type). There are females that have a rusty-red coloring of the upper side of the body. The tail is quite long - it reaches 15-19 centimeters, and the wings grow up to 20-30 centimeters. In this regard, the cuckoo seems to be a large bird, especially in flight. In fact, it is small, and its weight is only 120 grams (maximum).

More details about what a cuckoo chick is (see photo below) can be found later in the article.

It is believed that cuckoos are medium-sized birds: the smallest species are only slightly larger than a sparrow, and the largest are like crows. They have a hard plumage that fits well to the body. But the fluff is poorly developed.

The elongated leg feathers of these birds form a kind of "trousers". The wings of most representatives of the family are long and sharp (there are only 10 primary primaries, the longest of which is the third).

The stepped long tail has, as a rule, 10 tail feathers. Cuckoos have short four-toed legs.

The young cuckoo (chick) differs from its old relatives in a more brown color of the upper body, as a rule, with rusty-red transverse stripes. The tail of the cuckoo is white-tipped, while the rufous females have a dark stripe along the edge.

The male makes sounds in the form of “cuckoo”, sometimes turning into deaf laughter. For females, the sonorous sound “kli-kli-kli” is characteristic. cuckoo no more than ten times in a row.

About varieties

The number of the entire order of cuckoos is approximately 150 species, united in 39 genera. They are divided into 2 suborders: real cuckoos, containing one family of cuckoos, and turacos, containing one family of turacos (or banana-eaters).

Most of the members of the family are shrubs and trees. Their life passes in the crown of bushes and trees. Among them there are species leading a terrestrial lifestyle. They build their nests on the ground.

Many cuckoos are monogamous. During the breeding season, they form pairs, build nests themselves, incubate eggs and feed their chicks.

Often people ask themselves: "Why does the cuckoo leave her chicks?" It turns out that this is typical only for polygamous cuckoos.

Habitat, lifestyle

This cuckoo nests on lands from England to Japan and Kamchatka, occupying almost the entire Russian territory from west to east. In the north, in the European part of the country, the distribution range of this bird reaches the Arctic Circle and even a little further. As for the southern part, in this region the cuckoos "crossed" the border of the state, reaching Asia Minor and North Africa.

The bird lives both in the tundra and in semi-deserts, having chosen shrubs, forests and mountain dwarfs. It feeds on a variety of insects (helps in killing many hairy caterpillars that other birds do not normally eat). You can find out what the cuckoo chick eats below.

Almost all such members of the family live in the eastern hemisphere, and monogamous live in the western. The former, as you remember, do not form pairs: only one female and several males are found in one area, less often their ratio is reversed.

In the European part of Russia, these birds throw eggs into the nests of several dozen species: to tiny kinglets, wrens, nightingales, swifts, etc. They throw "adoptees" to sparrows.

Peculiarities

Cuckoo eggs vary between species because females are from different hereditary lines. Each of them is associated with a certain type of host bird, so the eggs are laid in the appropriate color. There is one more interesting point. A little grown up cuckoo pushes other chicks out of the nest, whose parents continue to feed the foundling.

Depending on the region of habitat and the host birds, cuckoos can be different. In the European part, these are primarily redstarts, wagtails, warblers and shrikes. Their breeding season is from May to July.

Cuckoo chick: photo, description

The embryo, warmed by a diligent mother hen, develops quite quickly. The cuckoo chick emerges from the egg after 12 days, that is, earlier than the chicks of most small birds. In growth, he quickly overtakes the native children of foster parents.

In a strange way, almost immediately after hatching (after 10-12 hours), the cuckoo has some kind of special need throw out various objects from the nest that touch his back (bare skin has many very sensitive nerve endings). If suddenly a warm egg with an already stirring chick gets on the back of the foundling, the cuckoo, placing it in the sacral recess and holding it with its wings, crawls to the edge of the nest to throw it to the ground. He can do the same with small chicks.

habits

In total, during the first 3-4 days of life, when a similar reflex is manifested in a chick, a cuckoo chick (adopted) throws out only about 10 eggs from the nest, or almost all the chicks of the owners. Usually, parents feed their cubs only in nests, so discarded babies die.

The whole usually remains intact if the cuckoo throws an egg into a nest with an already hatched clutch, because it begins to lag behind them in growth. Then it is very difficult for parents to feed so many mouths.

The cuckoo in the nest is completely silent. A little later, he begins, demanding food, squeaking loudly. And after leaving the nest, he squeaks, torturing his adoptive parents.

The picture looks very strange when, near a large cuckoo with a reddish plumage, already flying, two small birds, such as flycatchers or warblers, constantly fuss. in the photo below you can see what a cuckoo chick looks like, which is fed with all its might by birds of a different species.

The cuckoo opens its mouth so wide that it seems that it can swallow the bird along with the caterpillars. Often there is such a picture: a bird sits on the shoulders of a cuckoo and puts food into his mouth from above, and then again hurries for prey.

Cuckoo food

These birds feed exclusively on animal food. Usually prey is collected from bushes, trees, and a little less often from the ground. It happens that they catch insects on the fly in the air, for which their wide mouth is well adapted.

The basis of food for most cuckoo species is a variety of insects and their larvae. Less often, they eat other invertebrates (for example, spiders).

There are species of cuckoos (mostly tropical) that feed on bird eggs and chicks, amphibians, small mammals and reptiles.

What do cuckoo chicks eat? Growing cuckoos are distinguished by amazing voracity. One case is known when a very young chick of this species, fed in a cage, ate 39 large 18 lizards, 3 butterfly pupae, 5 May beetle larvae, 43 cabbage caterpillars, 4 spiders, 50 flour worms and a large number of “eggs” of ants per day.

The chick is very picky about feeding, so it persistently achieves its goal. It often happens that it is fed not only by "foster" parents, but also by other birds.

The cuckoo has different similar names in other countries: the Bulgarians call it "kukovitsa", in Romania the word "kuk" is common, the Germans called it "kukukom", the Czechs called it "cuka", the French simply call it "kuku", and the Italians - "kukolo". ".

The coloration of the cuckoo is basically the same as that of the sparrow hawk. Perhaps this is not accidental, because thanks to this, the cuckoo can easily drive away the hosts from the nest.

Redstarts and warblers most often become educators of cuckoo cubs.

Conclusion

Despite this feature of the described bird, it is considered useful. The only not very pleasant moment is that, throwing its eggs into other people's nests and causing the death of the owners' chicks in connection with this, the cuckoo causes some harm, destroying insectivorous useful birds.