In spring or early summer, everyone heard a mysterious cooing in a forest or park. But few have seen this vocal bird, indistinguishable among the branches and cautious in its habits. The peculiarities of the bird's singing are reflected in the name, and in different European languages. The slightly sad “peek-a-boo” is even associated with wishing for fortune.
Features and habitat of the cuckoo
Despite the fateful significance of singing cuckoos, bird description not impressive: small in size, barely larger than a pigeon. The plumage is gray-white, with transverse stripes along the body, the tail is long, and the paws have two front toes and two hind toes, covered with feathers. The weight is only 100 grams, and the length is approximately 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 straightens and lifts its tail. The male makes familiar sounds, calling for his girlfriend and notifying neighbors that the territory is occupied. The voice of the female cuckoo is different, a little like laughter. Having heard 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. From April they gradually appear in our areas, and already in July they gather in South Africa from the western regions, and from the eastern regions - in China or India. It is interesting that the old birds fly away first, and later, by September, the young ones. Thus, cuckoo – wintering bird warm countries.
There are several main subspecies, but the “common” one is known cuckoo", what bird widespread and recognizable by their characteristic singing, they live in familiar meadows and fields, surrounded by hills, among reeds along the edges of marshy places.
Among the mountains they are found at altitudes of up to 2,500 m, and sometimes up to 4,000 m. Birds do not like desert areas, dense thickets, tundra and noisy urban buildings. In foreign places, birds choose places similar in relief to their native ones. In spring they rush to return to familiar territories.
Character and lifestyle of the cuckoo
Studying cuckoo behavior is a thankless task. She is secretive and cautious, leaving almost no traces of her activity. Loudly notifies of presence, but does not allow surveillance. Many may not be distinguishable bird voices, cuckoo even a child will recognize it.
The photo shows a common cuckoo
The bird is not adapted to movement on the ground. If it descends for prey, it hurries to fly back. Two-fingered paws clumsily carry the cuckoo, whose step alternates with a jump. The required distance is missed to the target so that not even paw marks remain. A selected caterpillar or worm is a reward for the inconvenience of moving.
Cuckoos live separately, seeking to create pairs only temporarily for the mating season. The territory of each bird is proportional to its size and age. The male may “give way” to the female a little, but he protects the area from others and loudly notifies everyone.
Cuckoo feeding
The bird's diet is rich in various insects. By exterminating pests, cuckoos bring enormous benefits to agriculture. Despite its modest size, food consumption is much more active than that of its close relatives. In a day, one bird can absorb up to 1,500 caterpillars, 15 lizards, 30 grasshoppers, and 40 cabbage worms. And this is not the limit.
The well-known gluttony of cuckoo chicks is a big problem for feeder-guardians. In addition to insects, their larvae, beetles, eggs of other birds, frogs, earthworms, and slugs become food for vocal birds.
The cuckoo loves to feast on dragonflies and grasshoppers caught from ambush. The observation ends with a swift rush to capture the prey and return to the post. Eating caterpillars is a real ritual. First, the victim's head is broken, then the intestinal contents are shaken out through active rotation in the air, and only then is the prey swallowed.
Reproduction and lifespan
Spring mating dances of cuckoos occur with a touch of romance. The male waves his tail like a fan and calls to the cuckoo. The lowered head and wings are a sign of recognition and calling. The brought twig or stem completely conquers the female.
It is known that cuckoo bird nest- always someone else's. 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 are numerous, and each needs its own guardian.
The tossing is done thoughtfully and carefully. First, the bird watches the “guardian’s” nest, waits for the moment of access and leaves cuckoo eggs instead of the host’s, 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 has been 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 a female frightens them due to the similarity of her color to predators.
The cuckoo chick hatches on the 11th-12th day, usually earlier than the others. The fight for food explains their fighting behavior: they strive to push others out of the nest and grab more food.
The story of foundlings does not always turn out well. City sparrows have learned to recognize thrown eggs and throw them away; other birds may abandon a nest with someone else's gift. But the most patient parents nurture everyone.
It is interesting that the cuckoo strives to lay an egg on the bird that raised it. Among the reliable guardians are the Robin, the White Wagtail, the Garden Redstart, and the Wood Accentor. Often, the size of the adoptive parents is much more modest than that of the cuckoo foster child.
Experts note that if cuckoos took care of their offspring, the number of chicks and their gluttony would still exceed the capabilities of the parents. Therefore, their concern 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. A free pigeon of comparable average size lives about this long. Although cuckoos are similar in appearance to small hawks, their lives are a completely different story.
Common cuckoo (as we are used to seeing it)
From early childhood, everyone is familiar with the vociferous and “frivolous fortuneteller” - the cuckoo. How often, while walking in the forest, did everyone turn to her with the question: how long to live? And, holding his breath, he counted down the cherished " peek-a-boo" Did you know that the deadline is set by the male cuckoo species? The voice of the lady cuckoo is far from cuckooing and rather resembles loud laughter.
Everyone knows the irresponsibility of the cuckoo, which is capable of giving its children to be raised by other parents. Darwin explained this behavior by evolutionary processes. The point is the particularly long development of the chick relative to the emergence of new offspring in the form of the next one. Faced with a choice: to feed the previous one or hatch the next parasite, the cuckoo decides to give each new child to more organic parents.
There are an incredible number of varieties of this (all with slightly different cuckoo voices). While differing, as a rule, in habitat, cuckoos of adjacent species also differ in behavior. For example, the great spotted European cuckoo (Clamator Glandarius) leaves not one, but sometimes four to eight future chicks in someone else's nest! Often, cuckoo chicks are superior in size and development to their half-brothers, who in this case are aggressively thrown out of the nest by the cuckoo chicks, remaining the priority of their adoptive parents. But, like everything in our world, the cuckoo is different from the cuckoo. For example, a mother from the species Coccyzus Americanus, or American yellow-billed, hatches and raises her offspring independently, with the help of the father of the family, who obtains food.
Surprisingly many cuckoo species are migratory birds! From European countries, cuckoos fly to Africa, organizing themselves in small flocks. They cross the Mediterranean Sea at an altitude of up to three hundred meters.
Another interesting species of cuckoo
This is only a small part of the whole variety of surprises hidden in the natural and social laws of existence. By learning new interesting facts about reality, you can learn to look at the world from different angles and not rush to scold the cuckoo for its non-standard behavior!
By the way, maybe you didn’t know, but in English the cuckoo is called “cuckoo”:). It's cool, we think :).
ANCIENT GODS-FAITH OF THE ANCESTORS Veles (Volos) is one of the most famous and most mysterious Deities of the pagan pantheon of the ancient Slavs. He is credited with the role of being responsible for people and the animal world as a whole. Many modern researchers differ in their conclusions, but one thing is certain - Veles was glorified by our most distant ancestors. Some call him the bestial God, the patron of cattle, others say that the bestial God protects the animal nature of man, others claim that Veles is the God of poets and wealth, is the grandfather of the famous poet Boyan, others talk about his afterlife essence, about his task of meeting souls after death and escort to the world of the dead. There are a large number of opinions about God Veles, but let’s look at everything in order. The origin of the name Veles is not completely clear. Some researchers separate the names Veles and Volos and claim that they belong to different Deities. M. Vasmer suggests that Veles comes from the word “great” or “great.” The point of view that Volos is hairy, shaggy, shaggy is also not rejected. It may very well be that the word “magician” comes precisely from the name of the god Volos. In addition, many magicians, as you know, put on clothes with the fur facing out, thereby becoming like Veles. Veles is compared with the Baltic God of the world of the dead, Välnasa, Vielona, Velns or Vels. In Indian mythology there is a demon Vala who devours cattle, which echoes Slavic mythology in which Veles steals his heavenly herds from Perun. In many ways, Veles corresponds to the Scandinavian God Wotan (Odin). Also, many are inclined to identify with the Scandinavian VALASS, which is the God of oxen. Veles is similar in many analogies to the Greek pagan god Apollo and the Roman Mars. Galkovsky in his book “The Struggle of Christianity against the Remnants of Paganism” offers a version: the Lithuanians have the word welis, which means “dead”, wel"ei - the souls of the dead, and this may mean that Veles was originally the spirit of ancestors, a brownie or barn-keeper, who looked after the cattle. Some researchers say that both Veles and Volos can be different Gods. Volos and Veles, as a single God, have too many differences and contradictions with themselves. Thus, the name Volos often means the Snake God, the Underground God with scales, the same dragon with which the ancient Russian heroes fight, the Serpent to which Perun has always opposed; but when they say Veles, they mean either a seemingly wise old man, or God in the form of a bear, or in the form of a bull who protects livestock. However, this opinion is disputed, since idols in ancient Rus' were placed only by Veles-Volos and there are no reliable references to their different nature yet. In any case, it is now generally accepted that Veles the bull, the snake, the bear, and the frost are hypostases of one God. Some of the most reliable references to God Veles are the mentions of Oleg and Svyatoslav in the treaties between Kiev and Constantinople: Oleg’s oath: “Swearing by his weapon and Perun his god and Hair the cattle god”; Svyatoslav’s oath: “Yes, we have an oath from God, in him we believe, in Perun, and in Volos, the beast god.” It is unlikely that Veles was exclusively the God of cattle; most likely this was one of his not very last duties or incarnations. Also, do not underestimate the role of livestock in the ancient world. If in our time the God of cattle seems completely insignificant, since in most modern houses there are no more animals except cats, then in the Ancient World cattle were the basis not only of prosperity or well-being, but of life in general. Each family had its own livestock - cows, goats, pigs, etc. Livestock is practically a member of the family that feeds all people. The Cattle God was the most important in the veneration of the pagans, since the life of the whole family could depend on the well-being and health of the cattle. If Veles stops patronizing livestock, then the summer can still last, but it will no longer be possible to survive the winter. ● Slavic god Veles Veles is helped by numerous assistants, his army, Velesich - brownies, banniki, foresters (wood goblins), ovinniki, courtyard workers, field workers, half-days. They all help God in the daily affairs of people. Thus, we see that Veles is not only a bestial God who helps exclusively animals. By helping animals, he helps people directly. Not only the singer and storyteller Boyan is called the grandson of Veles, but the entire human race in general. To help animals, he leads a whole host of Navi spirits. Thus, Veles is not just a bestial God, but also the God of Reveal and Navi. Patron of people, patron of people's daily affairs, their activities, labor, profit, prosperity, wisdom, patron of those seeking knowledge. In addition, Veles is also called the God of Wealth. There is a belief that a person in search of material prosperity should turn to this God, since Veles is in charge of all human affairs in Revealing. The fact that he is in charge not only of the animal world is also evidenced by another custom of leaving a sheaf of hay on the field after the harvest - ox, which was also called “Hair beard” or “Veles on the beard” - a grateful offering to God, who helped to reap the harvest. Remembering the prince’s agreement with the Greeks, one can also assume that Veles, along with Perun, followed all the agreements and oaths, especially those that came on his behalf. Veles's connection with the other world is undeniable. A large number of Velesich spirits obey him. According to the most ancient beliefs, Veles (vodchik, shepherd of the dead) meets the soul of the deceased in the afterlife on the Kalinov Bridge and leads him across the Smorodina River to the world of the dead. Veles is depicted as a wise, horned old man with a crooked stick or a bunch of cut ears, or as a man with a bull's head. According to some beliefs, his mother is the cow Zemun. Veles adopted from her not only her appearance, but also her attitude towards the entire animal world. In addition, Veles is often depicted as a bear. The bear that wandered into the settlement was considered the incarnation of God Veles, who wanted to warn people about something. Appearing in the guise of a forest animal, Veles is also the patron of forest lands along with Svyatobor, the patron of travelers, and here he has a special army of spirits - foresters or goblins. It is believed that Father Frost or Karachun is also one of the incarnations of Veles, who is in charge of the winter forest and winter cold. In addition, Veles or Volos is depicted as the Serpent - the enemy of the thunderer Perun. He is called the God of the underwater (sea) and underground worlds. Hence his connection (one of his images) with the serpent, the dragon. In general, the two Gods - Perun and Veles - were often opposed to each other, as if they were eternal opponents (the god of the Earth and the god of Heaven, the god of ordinary people Veles and the god of the princely squad Perun). But, despite their confrontation, Perun and Veles remain united, which is why the pagan princes made promises or oaths in the names of both Gods. According to legend, Veles initially lived on earth, but then took up arms against the Thunder God, kidnapped Perun’s bride, his heavenly herds, the Sun, and imprisoned Perun himself in a dungeon. After the son of Perun freed his father, he again fought with Veles and defeated him. As a result, Veles was imprisoned in the underground kingdom and became the God of not only the above-ground human and animal world, but also the underground, otherworldly, master of Navi. Perun returned the Sun to the sky, the waters began to rain again, and the wife returned to the God of Thunder. Many scientists believe that this is not just one of the important myths of the Slavs, it also describes climatic events that once really occurred. Since the cult of Veles was one of the main ones in ancient Rus', it is natural that he had his own temples and sanctuaries. In the Gustino Chronicle it is written: “The second (idol) Volos, the god of cattle, was held in great honor by them (the pagans). In Kyiv, the idol of Veles stood on the so-called “Kiev Podil” in the lower part of the city at the pier on the Pochayna River. During the baptism in 988, like the idol of Perun, the idol of Veles was thrown into the river. The “Life of Vladimir” says this: “And the Hair of the idol... led into the Pochayna River and brought it into existence.” In the pantheon that Vladimir offered to Rus', Perun was always higher than Veles. Veles was the patron saint of all Rus', of all ordinary people, and Perun was the god of the prince and the princely squad. In Kyiv, Perun stood on the mountain, and Veles under the mountain. If we take into account that Perun is the God of thunder, thunderstorms, the heavenly elements, and Veles is the earthly and underground elements, then from this it becomes clear why Perun was always placed at the top and Veles at the bottom. In Macedonia there is a city of Veles, which stands directly under the mountain of Elijah the Prophet (Elijah the Prophet took over the functions of Perun at the time of baptism). In Croatia there is the village of Volosko, which is also located under Mount Perun. Another statement that this God had great power in the beliefs of the pagans was brought to us by a certain Abraham of Rostov in the 11th century, who said about the Rostov idol of Veles, standing at the Chud end of the city: “The Chud end worshiped the stone idol, Veles.” According to one of the legends, the city of Yaroslavl was built on the site of the Bear Corner temple, dedicated to Veles, in which the Magi kept the sacred bear “To this multi-executed idol and kermet (temple) was quickly created and the Magi were given, and this unquenchable fire was held by Volos and a smoke was sacrificed to him.” . Yaroslav the Wise, according to the same legend, dispersed the Magi, killed the bear and destroyed the temple of Veles. About the Ilmen Slovenes, in the story about the charter of Alexander the Great in the 17th century, it is written like this: “These princes of Slovenia-Russia... venerated this most honorable epistole as great and desecrated it as their goddess in the right country of the idol of Veles and honestly bowed to her, and the holiday was honorable to the creator at the beginning Primos day of the month." In Veliky Novgorod there was also a temple of Veles and it was located on the site of the modern Church of Blasius. In general, there is plenty of evidence that Veles was one of the supreme Deities of the pagan pantheon. After the adoption of Christianity, the church needed to somehow quickly and painlessly assimilate the pagan Rus with its saints. Suddenly, unexpectedly, many Christian saints began to acquire the features of purely Slavic pagan Gods, and the ancient Gods themselves began to be called evil spirits, demons and demons. This happened with Veles. Veles was replaced by Saint Blaise, who was also the patron saint of livestock. Some features of Veles were transferred to St. George, in particular, the legends about how Veles fed the wolves were transferred to the Christian saint. Veles was recognized as an evil spirit, hence: Volosatik, Volosen - the devil. In the Czech Republic, the term evil spirit began to be called Veles. It is also worth saying that some of the features of Veles were adopted by Nicholas the Wonderworker, who began to patronize wealth, trade, the underwater and underground world. ● constellation Volosyn The name of Veles was given to the star cluster of the Pleiades - the constellation Volosyn (Volosyn are the wives of Veles, they, according to Afanasy Nikitin, are also called Vlasozhelishchi). The Milky Way (the Milky Way formed from the milk of the celestial cow Zemun) was called Volosozhary. The tree of the God of the Slavs, Veles, is considered to be spruce, pine, walnut, ash, yew - from this wood it is worth making amulets of Veles or idols. It is likely that animal skulls hung on the temples of Veles, and the idol itself was crowned with horns and wrapped in furs. Also, most likely, the idol of Veles was present at many temples, since, among other things, Veles is the patron of magicians, sorcerers, healers, fortune-tellers, etc. His patronage of everything human, of all human nature, naturally forced people to honor him as their protector and intercessor, the patron of almost all aspects of human life, from birth itself to the posthumous journey to the afterlife. On holidays or on the days of glorification of Veles, traditional dishes are milk, cottage cheese and other dairy products. It is wrong to eat beef or bear. The demand is brought with grain, honey, bread, milk, the idol is poured with beer and kvass. In the legend about the Construction of the city of Yaroslavl we can read: “To this multi-executed idol and temple was quickly built and the Magi were given, and this unquenchable fire was held by Volos and a chicken was sacrificed to him,” that is, chickens were sacrificed. This is also evidenced by Czech history, where the Czechs, even after accepting Christianity, sacrificed pigeons and black chickens to Veles. The birds of Veles are considered to be the Raven (according to Slavic mythology, two ravens accompany the soul) and the wise bird Owl. To select the location of the temple or sanctuary of Veles, they resort to certain signs. The temple can be erected either in a damp lowland, where the kingdom of the underground and underwater, serpentine world predominates, or on a mountain, where, for example, there is a spruce forest or other trees of the cattle God grow. A good sign for establishing a temple in a certain place is the presence of a raven nest nearby.
In nature, cuckoos live for about 10 years.
- The most famous fact about the cuckoo: it does not build its own nests and lays its eggs in others.
- In flight, the cuckoo's coloration resembles a bird of prey. Thanks to this, the male cuckoo scares the bird that owns the nest, and at this time the female throws an egg.
- It only takes 10-16 seconds for the cuckoo to lay an egg in the nest.
- The thrown eggs almost match the color of the eggs of the nest owners. A female cuckoo can lay from 8 to 25 eggs in one season, however, for every 5 eggs laid, only one chick survives.
- The period from laying eggs to hatching of chicks is shorter for the cuckoo than for those species in whose nests they are located.
- During the breeding season, the male cuckoo guards the “nesting site” of those birds where the female should lay eggs, since if there are two eggs of these birds in one nest, then the chicks will most likely also both die from lack of food.
- In both Denmark and Sweden, the bird is tortured for longevity; in Japan, it is considered a traveler to the next world, closely associated with death. And she cries for misfortune, for pestilence, and for fire.
- The first of April, known to us as “Fools’ Day,” is called “Cuckoo Day” in Scotland.
- An adult cuckoo eats up to a hundred caterpillars in an hour, while working like this for ten hours. And if a lot of pests appear in the forest where it lives, then the bird will work until it destroys all the insects.
- Scorpion venom is absolutely harmless to the cuckoo.
- A curious feature of the cuckoo breed is the almost complete absence of “voice” in the female. She makes a characteristic gurgling trill, but the males cuckoo loudly.
The cuckoo chick, being still blind, deaf and completely naked, solves its housing problems by throwing out the eggs or chicks of its owners from the nest - replacing several chicks of another species with more numerous offspring. The throwing instinct lasts 3-4 days and then fades away. But even if the chicks of their adoptive parents were not “overboard,” they are still doomed: the cuckoo chicks will intercept all the food that is brought to them.
1. The common cuckoo is a bird from the subclass Neopalatinae, the cuckoo family,
or cuckoos.
2. The most famous fact about the cuckoo: it does not build its own nests and lays its eggs in other people's nests.
3. The word “cuckoo” comes from the sonorous “ku-ku” pronounced by the bird. Its name is similar among many nations: kukuvica - in Bulgaria, kukačka - in the Czech Republic, Kuckuck - in Germany, coucou - in France, cucul - in Romania, cuculo - in Italy, cuckoo - in Great Britain.
4. It is believed that the cuckoo is similar in appearance to a small hawk. But modern scientists emphasize only the superficial similarity of the cuckoo with hawk birds: for example, the common cuckoo’s head, plumage details and flight pattern are somewhat reminiscent of those of the sparrowhawk.
5. In a flying bird, you can notice dark transverse streaks on the belly and lower part of the wing, like a hawk, but its tail is noticeably longer and beveled along the edges in the shape of a wedge, and not cut in a straight line.
6. A cuckoo sitting on a tree, unlike hawks, holds its body horizontally, often with lowered wings and a raised tail.
7. The bird’s wings are pointed and, like the tail, are quite long. The legs, on the contrary, are very short - for this reason, only the toes grasping the support are visible to an observer from the outside.
8. Like other related species, the legs of the common cuckoo have a so-called zygodactyl structure: two toes point forward and two back, like those of owls. This position allows you to better stay on a vertical plane, but makes it difficult to move on the surface of the earth.
9. The total length of the common cuckoo reaches 32-34 centimeters, the wingspan is 55-65 centimeters, and the weight is up to 80-190 grams. In an adult male, the entire upper side of the body, including the head, is dark gray. The throat and crop are also gray, but of a lighter ash hue. The belly is white, with dark transverse stripes. Tails with white tips and spots along the shafts.
10. The color of the plumage of females is of two types. The most common one repeats the details of the male’s plumage in such a way that it is very difficult to distinguish between individuals of different sexes in the field; a specialist can see a brownish tint on the back and sometimes sparse buffy feathers on the throat and craw.
Male and female cuckoos
11. The second type of coloring, on the contrary, makes the female completely different from the male. Representatives of this phase are rusty-red above and white below, with dark transverse stripes on both sides. There are no streaks on the back only in the lumbar region.
12. For most of the year, the common cuckoo leads a secretive, silent lifestyle. Only in spring and the first half of summer do females and especially males become noticeable and noisy, attracting attention to themselves.
13. The breeding area of the common cuckoo covers all climatic zones from forest-tundra to desert and subtropical forests of the Palearctic region, all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It is a common and sometimes abundant species almost everywhere.
14. When talking in the forest with a cuckooing bird, many believe that it is a female. She is even addressed using the feminine gender. The fact is that the female cuckoo can only make sounds inaudible to the human ear.
15.Only the male cuckoo can cuckoo. And he does this for a reason. This is how the male invites females to mate. The male hears the quiet sounds made by the females at a very great distance.
16. In one day, a male cuckoo can mate with several females. At the same time, the female, ready for mating, occupies her territory, where she selects nests for throwing future offspring.
17. The most famous mating song of the male is a loud, measured cry “ku-ku...ku-ku...”, repeated many times with intensification on the first syllable. In clear, windless weather, it can be heard at a distance of up to two kilometers.
19. The great spotted cuckoo, which grows up to 40 centimeters in height, lays its eggs on the raven family, such as jays or magpies.
20. Cuckoo chicks can be raised by birds nesting in a wide variety of biotopes, with different feeding habits, ranging in size from a kinglet to a large blackbird.
21. It is surprising that cuckoos that live in the tropics of Africa do not throw eggs, but build one common nest, where about 20 individuals gather and lay eggs, which are looked after by old birds, incubate and care for them.
22. In mating relationships, the cuckoo is characterized by polygamy, that is, when a large area of a male includes several areas of females.
23. The male flies around his possessions during the day and visits the females one by one. And during the breeding season, the female adheres to a specific area of 2-4 hectares on which her parent species nest.
24. A female cuckoo is capable of sitting motionless on a perch for hours, watching nesting birds, and reacts weakly even if they attack.
25. Having noticed a suitable place, the bird flies away and appears again in the same place when the formed egg is ready for laying.
26. An adult cuckoo eats up to 100 caterpillars in an hour, and works like this for 10 hours.
27.If a lot of pests appear in the forest where the cuckoo lives, the bird will work until it destroys all the insects.
28. Instinct forces the cuckoo to return to its native biotopes and look for exactly those host species in whose nests it was born.
29. The cuckoo is searching for suitable nests for the entire period of time while its main caregivers are breeding.
30. The mass of a cuckoo egg weighs only 2 to 3 grams, which is a distinctive feature of it from other species of birds.
31. In flight, the cuckoo’s coloration resembles a bird of prey. Thanks to this, the male cuckoo scares the bird that owns the nest, and at this time the female throws an egg.
32. It is a proven fact that during the breeding season the male cuckoo guards the “nesting site” of those birds where the female should lay eggs, since if there are two eggs of these birds in one nest, then the chicks will most likely also both die from lack of food.
33. A female cuckoo can lay from 8 to 25 eggs in one season, however, for every 5 eggs laid, only one chick survives.
34. The thrown eggs almost match the color of the eggs of the nest owners.
35. It only takes 10-16 seconds for the cuckoo to lay an egg in the nest.
36. The period from laying eggs to hatching of chicks is shorter for the cuckoo than for those species in whose nests they are located.
37. The little cuckoo, while still blind, deaf and completely naked, solves its housing problems by throwing out the eggs or chicks of its owners from the nest - replacing several chicks of another species with more numerous offspring.
38. The throwing instinct lasts 3-4 days and then fades away. But even if the chicks of their adoptive parents were not “overboard,” they are still doomed: the cuckoo chicks will intercept all the food that is brought to them.
39. To lay eggs, cuckoos build their nests in remote and lonely places in the forest.
40. Scorpion venom is absolutely harmless to the cuckoo.
41. Being a typical migratory bird, the cuckoo spends the winter in Africa and in the tropical latitudes of Asia.
42. Before flying to another area, these birds actively gain weight, so they have to cover long distances.
43. Cuckoos are able to travel up to 3,600 kilometers in one flight without stopping to rest, and the total distance of winter stations from nesting sites reaches 5-6 thousand kilometers or more.
45. In nature, cuckoos live about 10 years.
46. The cuckoo clock is a symbol not only of Russia, but also of Germany. A huge selection of wooden birds can be found anywhere here. The vibrant production of wooden cuckoo clocks began in the Black Forest in the 17th century.
47. The first of April, known to us as “Fools’ Day,” is called “Cuckoo Day” in Scotland.
48. Both in Denmark and Sweden this bird is tortured for longevity; in Japan it is considered a traveler to the next world, closely associated with death. And she cries for misfortune, for pestilence, and for fire.
49. In fact, cuckoos that live in Eurasia and America throw eggs to only 12 species of birds, and not to everyone, as is commonly believed.
50. Most often, cuckoos lay eggs in the nests of small insectivorous passerine birds: white wagtail, common redstart, robin, blackbird warbler and others.
