Common Cuckoo
Cuculus canorus
Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCuculiformes (Cuckoos)
- FamilyCuculidae (Cuckoos)
- GenusCuculus (Typical Old World Cuckoos)
- SpeciesCuculus canorus (Common Cuckoo)
About the Common Cuckoo
The cuckoo, common cuckoo, European cuckoo or Eurasian cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals. This species is a widespread summer migrant to Europe and Asia, and winters in Africa. It is a brood parasite, which means it lays eggs in the nests of other bird species, particularly of dunnocks, meadow pipits, and reed warblers. Although its eggs are larger than those of its hosts, the eggs in each type of host nest resemble the host's eggs. The adult too is a mimic, in its case of the sparrowhawk; since that species is a predator, the mimicry gives the female time to lay her eggs without being attacked.
The species' binomial name is derived from the Latin cuculus (the cuckoo) and canorus (melodious; from canere, meaning "to sing"). The cuckoo family gets its common name and genus name by onomatopoeia for the call of the male common cuckoo. The English word "cuckoo" comes from the Old French cucu, and its earliest recorded usage in English is from around 1240, in the song Sumer Is Icumen In. The song is written in Middle English, and the first two lines are "Svmer is icumen... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Common Cuckoo in Jim Corbett National Park
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Common Hawk-Cuckoo
Cuculus varius
Indian Cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus
Large Hawk Cuckoo
Cuculus sparverioides
Greater Coucal
Centropus sinensis
Asian Koel
Eudynamys scolopaceus
Asian Drongo-Cuckoo
Surniculus lugubris
Lesser Coucal
Centropus bengalensis
Grey-bellied Cuckoo
Cacomantis passerinus
Jacobin Cuckoo
Clamator jacobinus
Banded Bay Cuckoo
Cacomantis sonneratii
Sirkeer Malkoha
Taccocua leschenaultii
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Cuckoo in Jim Corbett National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Cuckoo sighting in Jim Corbett National Park, based on 61 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Cuckoo in Jim Corbett National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Common Cuckoo in Jim Corbett National Park in our monthly data.