The precarious life of the Cuckoo.
29th May 2019
When people hear a Cuckoo calling, usually in the distance, they just hear that sound of spring, but most never realise what’s going on in the Cuckoo’s life. The constant daily harassment from not only the birds whose nests they parasitize , principally Meadow Pipits in this area,
but other birds who join in, like Chaffinch.
Some may say it serves the Cuckoo right for laying eggs in other birds’ nests, but I will defend the Cuckoo because it is only doing what nature intended for it and I can’t help feeling admiration for this characterful and intelligent bird. When a Cuckoo is calling, usually from a perched position, although I have seen them calling in flight, there will be numerous small birds just sitting beside it.
and when it is not looking they will typically peck its tail or jump onto its back, purely to annoy it. If these small birds just perch next to a Cuckoo it will stay there but it doesn’t like being touched and if it is it will open its beak showing that blood red gape to the perpetrators.
Cuckoos can get really shaken up during these altercations some of which are quite vicious.
When these small birds’ antics become intolerable the Cuckoo will take flight, but unfortunately so do the same small birds and you can then see the classic flight image of a Cuckoo with a string of birds behind it, bearing similarities to a child’s kite with streamers attached. Then when the Cuckoo alights on a new perch the whole tedious scenario is repeated.
In between this constant provocation a male Cuckoo has to find a female, then hopefully mate successfully and then that female, who is also harassed,
has to show extreme cunning to get her egg into a host’s nest in just a few seconds. This whole performance must take place over a relatively short period of time. Cuckoos arrive here in the Brecon Beacons at the end of April and by late June it’s all over, so it has to be a well drilled procedure. I have to admire these birds if only for the scenarios depicted above.
I also love to hear their call when they arrive and miss it when they leave. We all love to hear a Cuckoo calling, it conjures up images in our minds of warm sunny spring days, and I for one hope it continues undiminished!!
but other birds who join in, like Chaffinch.
Some may say it serves the Cuckoo right for laying eggs in other birds’ nests, but I will defend the Cuckoo because it is only doing what nature intended for it and I can’t help feeling admiration for this characterful and intelligent bird. When a Cuckoo is calling, usually from a perched position, although I have seen them calling in flight, there will be numerous small birds just sitting beside it.
and when it is not looking they will typically peck its tail or jump onto its back, purely to annoy it. If these small birds just perch next to a Cuckoo it will stay there but it doesn’t like being touched and if it is it will open its beak showing that blood red gape to the perpetrators.
Cuckoos can get really shaken up during these altercations some of which are quite vicious.
When these small birds’ antics become intolerable the Cuckoo will take flight, but unfortunately so do the same small birds and you can then see the classic flight image of a Cuckoo with a string of birds behind it, bearing similarities to a child’s kite with streamers attached. Then when the Cuckoo alights on a new perch the whole tedious scenario is repeated.
In between this constant provocation a male Cuckoo has to find a female, then hopefully mate successfully and then that female, who is also harassed,
has to show extreme cunning to get her egg into a host’s nest in just a few seconds. This whole performance must take place over a relatively short period of time. Cuckoos arrive here in the Brecon Beacons at the end of April and by late June it’s all over, so it has to be a well drilled procedure. I have to admire these birds if only for the scenarios depicted above.
I also love to hear their call when they arrive and miss it when they leave. We all love to hear a Cuckoo calling, it conjures up images in our minds of warm sunny spring days, and I for one hope it continues undiminished!!