Cuckoos - Facts for Kids

Basic Information

The word “cuckoo” comes from the distinct “cu-coo” sound that many cuckoo species make, which sounds just like their name!

Cuckoos belong to the bird family Cuculidae, and this family includes roadrunners, anis, coucals, koels, and others — together there are about 140–150 species.

A group of cuckoos is sometimes called an “asylum” or a “cooch.” But cuckoos are usually solitary birds and rarely gather in groups.

Common cuckoos can be found across Europe, Asia, and Africa, making them one of the most widespread bird species in the Old World!

Common cuckoos in the wild live about 4–6 years on average. Some individuals have lived up to 12.9 years.

An adult common cuckoo usually weighs about 110–130 grams (as heavy as some small apples) and is 32-34 cm long (from beak to tail, about the length of a ruler).

Male common cuckoos are usually called males (or less formally, “cocks”), and females are called females (or “hens”). Baby cuckoos born in a nest are called nestlings, and once they hatch and leave the nest, they’re called chicks.

Cuckoos are brood parasites, which means they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests and let different bird species raise their babies!

Physical Characteristics

Cuckoos have zygodactyl feet, which means they have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward, helping them grip branches better!

Many cuckoos have gray, brown, or reddish-brown feathers (often with bars or mottled patterns) that help them blend in with tree bark, leaves, or forest shadows.

A cuckoo’s wingspan can reach up to 60 centimeters (about as wide as your kitchen chair)!

Some cuckoos travel very fast on migration, averaging around 60 km/h during parts of their journey.

Cuckoos have bright yellow eyes (with a yellow ring around them) when they’re grown, and younger cuckoos have darker eyes.

Cuckoo chicks have a special hollow on their back that helps them push out other eggs from their host nest!

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo’s bill is slightly curved and has a yellow base with a darker tip.

Some female cuckoos have striped or barred feathers that resemble those of hawks and other birds of prey.

Many cuckoos have relatively long tails, and in species that live in forests or dense vegetation, those long tails help with balance and maneuvering.

The great spotted cuckoo has beautiful spotted wings that look like they’re decorated with white polka dots!

Behavior & Intelligence

Female common cuckoos can imitate a sparrowhawk’s call just well enough that smaller birds get scared. This scares the nest owners away for a moment — letting the cuckoo lay its egg without being noticed.

Each female cuckoo belongs to a special line called a gens and usually targets one host bird. She lays eggs that closely match her host’s in color and pattern, tricking the host into raising her chick.

Cuckoos are primarily diurnal, meaning they are active and forage during the day, although some species, like the common cuckoo, may also call in the early morning or evening, or even at night.

Male cuckoos call many, many times per day during breeding season to mark territory and attract females.

Cuckoos return to the same breeding areas each year, but they usually choose new host nests!

Some cuckoos team up in pairs: the male distracts other birds while the female sneaks into a nest to lay her egg!

Habitat & Survival

Cuckoos can live in many different environments, from forests and woodlands to marshes and urban parks!

Cuckoos prefer areas with lots of trees or tall bushes where they can hide and watch for host nests!

Cuckoos often choose habitats with plenty of caterpillars, their favorite food!

Some cuckoo kinds can live pretty high up — from sea level all the way up to mountains as high as 3,500-4,500 meters!

During winter, many cuckoo species migrate to tropical regions where food is more abundant!

Life Cycle

A female cuckoo can lay 12 to 22 eggs in a single breeding season, usually putting each in a different host’s nest.

Cuckoo eggs hatch after just 11–13 days, which is faster than most other bird species!

Some baby cuckoos hatch early and push out their nestmates so they get all the food — but it might take more than one day, and not every cuckoo species does this trick.

Some cuckoo babies grow super fast. Before they leave the nest — around 2–3 weeks old — they often become bigger than the birds raising them!

Cuckoo chicks make very loud begging calls that trigger their foster parents to feed them more food!

It takes about 17–21 days for a baby cuckoo to leave the nest, but it keeps depending on its foster parents for several more weeks until it can really fly and get food on its own!

Some cuckoos can start having babies when they’re about one year old, but others don’t breed until they are two years old!

Diet & Feeding

Some cuckoos are special because they can eat hairy caterpillars that other birds avoid.

Some cuckoos are like nature’s vacuum cleaners, gobbling up to 100 caterpillars in one go when they’re hungry!

Some cuckoo species are able to shake caterpillars violently to remove their spiky hairs before eating them!

Cuckoos are like nature’s bug catchers! They munch on beetles, grasshoppers, flies, and all sorts of insects, helping keep the balance in nature.

Some cuckoo species have learned to follow army ant swarms to catch insects trying to escape!

Fun & Unique Facts

The Little Bronze-Cuckoo is the smallest cuckoo species in the world, measuring approximately 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) in length (about the size of your hand)!

The Channel-billed Cuckoo is the world’s largest cuckoo! It can grow up to 70 centimeters long — about as tall as a small child — and has a wingspan of over a meter.

The word “cuckoo” is used in many languages to mean something crazy or silly because of the bird’s unusual behavior!