Just a month after being found injured and unable to fly,
Idemili the female cuckoo will be heading off to the sunshine of Italy on
British Airways as she has fallen far behind the other cuckoos.
Once in Italy,
Idemili will be released to join her friends on their southward migration to Africa.
The Common Cuckoo
The Common Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus – formerly European Cuckoo
is a widespread summer migrant to Europe, Asia and winters in Africa. Breeds
across Eurasia, in the non-breeding season it heads south it to sub-Saharan Africa.
Description
Adult males are slate-grey with barred underparts. The iris, orbital ring,
the base of the bill and short legs and feet are yellow. Grey adult females
have a pinkish-buff or buff background to the barring and neck sides. Rufous
phase adult females have reddish-brown upperparts with dark grey or black bars.
Common Cuckoos in their first autumn have variable plumage. Some are have
strongly-barred chestnut-brown upperparts, while others are plain grey.
Rufous-brown birds have heavily-barred upperparts with some feathers edged with
creamy-white.
Call
The male's call, goo-ko, is usually given from an open perch. The female has
a loud bubbling call.
Food
Diet consists of insects, especially hairy caterpillars.
Breeding
Common Cuckoos first breed at two years old. The Common Cuckoo is a brood
parasite. It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. At the appropriate
moment, the hen cuckoo flies down to the host's nest, pushes one egg out, lays
an egg and flies off. The whole process takes about 10 seconds. A female may
visit up to 50 nests during a breeding season. The chick hatches after 11–13
days. It methodically evicts all host progeny from host nests. It is a much
larger bird than its hosts, and needs to monopolise the food supplied by the
parents. The chick will roll the other eggs out of the nest by pushing them
with its back over the edge.
Conservation Status – Least concern
Not threatened, in fact it is widespread and common in Southern
Africa. In the UK
a marked decline in numbers.
Birdwatching
Cuckoos can be seen throughout the UK,
but are especially numerous in southern and central England. Adults arrive in late
March or April and depart in July or August, with young birds leaving a month
or so later.
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a custom tour for
you or book on one of the following scheduled Aves Birding
Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Eastern Cape
Birding Tour / Safari
/Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari
/ Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.