The bird cuckoo is spread almost everywhere. With its constant cry of “ku-ku” is not only the name, but many people will.
Interesting is the fact that these usual screams published by males of the cuckoo to attract a female during the beginning of the mating season.
Looks like cuckoo
The common cuckoo has an inconspicuous color, but her flight could be confused with a hawk. So bird, around whose nests the cuckoo, it is often mistaken for the predator. On close examination of the structure of this bird, you notice that she has a long wedge-shaped tail, the wings are sharp, and the legs short. The structure of the foot allows you to stay on the surface in a vertical position, as do the woodpeckers. Adult cuckoos reach 34 inches in length and weigh up to 190 grams. Eye outlined the skin is bright orange. In the coloration of birds is dominated by dark grey and grey color, only the belly is white with dark stripes.
Where does the cuckoo
This species is not selective in the places of their habitat. Cuckoo settle in the tundra and subtropics that breeds in Europe and Asia Minor.
But winter in those places, which arrived in the spring, do not stay, they are attracted by:
- Africa;
- Sugar;
- Asian countries.
Dense thickets of taiga birds do not like, in all other forest stands, these species readily nest.
What to feed
Cuckoo – birds are not harmful, but rather useful, as it can destroy many of the pests that are unfit for food other birds. They are extremely voracious. The appetite becomes moderate only in the mating season. At this time they make noise and become very active, forgetting about its secrecy and caution, loudly proclaiming his love to the whole district.
From mid-April in the forest you can hear a loud “cuckoo”, which will cease only at the beginning of August. Common cuckoos, therefore, adjusted to the period of reproduction of those bird species, which they will lay in the nests of their eggs and give their young for the nurturing and upbringing.
Cuckoo remembers her kind adoptive parents and then continues to parasitize on these birds in the future. Most often foster parents choose small birds. The female is enough ten seconds to lay an egg in someone else nest and grab the master, while the male distracts its intimidating flight future foster mother cuckoo.
The behaviour of the cuckoo chick
The eggs of the cuckoo are acquiring coloring and drawing those eggs that are close to the nest, so the hosts do not know the difference. Eleven or twelve days, the light appears helpless chick. If he was lucky to hatch first, he will push all lying next to him eggs. He is also blind and with a bare back, but is strong enough and has the instinct of throwing all that concerns his back. Chick does it very quickly, as four days later, his instinct will not work.
If his half-brothers and sisters were born, he also severely deal with them. It needs to be left alone in the nest, otherwise the little bird, who tossed his real parents, can not feed a Horde of Chicks, and cuckoo is incredibly greedy. Therefore, even surviving native bird owners of the nest just don’t get food, he will still die.
After three weeks, the chick will start to appear plumage, and foster baby’s parents still continue to feed. Only when they feed her brood, their children become independent much faster.
Why do birds behave? The cuckoo manages to make those sounds, against which parents can’t resist. The cry of a bird sometimes mimics the cry of a few Chicks.
Other features of birds cuckoo
Live cuckoo almost ten years, but for the whole of its life span does not change their tactics of reproduction. Cuckoo common and the most common bird, but its habits are difficult to study, since the bird behaves very secretly. And females and males common cuckoos live apart until the period of the creation of pairs.
Of nests, not the view, but the territory that they can explore in search of other nests, is quite extensive, it is measured by acres. Carefully watching the other birds, she makes a critical choice: who will be the mother and father to her future nestling. Common cuckoo is not as simple as it seems at first glance. This bird is closely following what is happening in the woods, and if it is not satisfied with the nest, she will be able to determine their future nestling in the hollow.
The common cuckoo is not a model mom and industrious bird:
- no socket will not twist;
- no your baby will not feed.
No wonder about the women giving birth and > upbringing to their grandparents or other relatives, say that they, like the common cuckoo.
The bird has the ability to adapt. The eggs she carries disproportionately small compared with its weight. Their weight may be only three grams, sometimes more. After all, she needs to appeal to future teachers of their offspring. There are approximately one hundred and fifty species of birds which unscrupulous feathered mother doing foster parents.
Benefit or harm
Most likely, this unusual common forest bird benefits. She has one hour to deal with hundreds of caterpillars. And I’m hungry most of the day, and the stomach will easily process any type of pest. Secretive way of life of this bird to help her hunt, but this secrecy does not allow for the observation of the flight of the cuckoo.
In the pack, they are not going to fly, sitting on wires and trees, you’re not. All flights are conducted at a slow pace, feathered cherish power, so I don’t stop and overcome vast distances. Their hibernation lasts in a warmer climate for three months.
Most species of cuckoos are able to nurse their offspring that successfully do.
Don’t think that a cuckoo leads a parasitic way of life in everything. In General, based on its description, it can be concluded that this bird does not look bright and garish, but rather modestly, but is for the benefit of man, ridding parasites are not only close to human settlements, forest or garden plots.
