Common Cuckoo
Cuculus canorus
The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a common cuckoo found in 129 countries, weighing about 111 g. The cuckoo, common cuckoo, European cuckoo or Eurasian cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.
About the Common Cuckoo
The cuckoo, common cuckoo, European cuckoo or Eurasian cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The common cuckoo is 32–34 centimetres (13–13 in) long from bill to tail, with a tail of 13–15 centimetres (5.1–5.9 in) and a wingspan of 55–60 centimetres (22–24 in). The legs are short. It has a greyish, slender body and long tail, similar to a sparrowhawk in flight, where the wingbeats are regular. During the breeding season, common cuckoos often settle on an open perch with drooped wings and raised tail. There is a rufous colour morph, which occurs occasionally in adult females but more often in juveniles.
What the Common Cuckoo sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Mauritania, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Bahrain, San Marino, Chad, Eritrea, Gabon, Liberia, Senegal, Barbados, Macao SAR China.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Common Cuckoo?
- The common cuckoo is 32–34 centimetres (13–13 in) long from bill to tail, with a tail of 13–15 centimetres (5.1–5.9 in) and a wingspan of 55–60 centimetres (22–24 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Common Cuckoo?
- The Common Cuckoo is a medium sized bird weighing about 111 g.
- Where can you see a Common Cuckoo?
- The Common Cuckoo occurs in 129 countries, including Sweden, France, Germany, Finland and Spain.
- What does a Common Cuckoo sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Common Cuckoo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Common Cuckoo?
- The Common Cuckoo is most easily confused with the Red-chested Cuckoo, the Indian Cuckoo and the Black Cuckoo.
- Is the Common Cuckoo endangered?
- The Common Cuckoo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Common Cuckoo for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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