When we talk about a cuckoo bird, we are not referring to a single species, but to a group of birds with very similar characteristics, as well as many differences between them. For example, one of the characteristics that all cuckoo birds share is their peculiar song, which we will talk about when explaining how cuckoo birds courtship. They also share a peculiar way of laying their eggs, really interesting and curious, do you dare to meet her?
In this article on our site we explain how is the incubation of the cuckoo bird, what is its ideal environment, temperature, duration of process and much more. Keep reading!
Types and characteristics of the cuckoo bird
The group of birds called "cuckoo bird" or "cuckoo" encompasses a large number of different species, but they share a taxonomic family, all of them belonging to the family of the Cuculidae.
Within this great family, we find different types of cuckoos, such as these:
- Genus Coccyzus: yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). Between 28 to 32 centimeters in length and 40 to 48 centimeters in wingspan. They are gray in color with white underparts and a black-and-white tail. Its characteristic feature is its yellow beak. Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)
- Genus Morococcyx: ground cuckoo or savanna cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus). It lives in Central America, in the area between Mexico and Costa Rica.
- Genus Dromococcyx: pheasant cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus), which lives in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Peru, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Suriname, and the Pavonian cuckoo (Dromococcyx pavoninus), which is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay, French Guiana, Brazil, Venezuela, and Peru.
- Genus Chrysococcyx: includes black-eared cuckoo, Horsfield's cuckoo, bronze cuckoo, red-throated cuckoo, white-eared cuckoo, giblet, Asian emerald, violet, red-crowned, Klaas's, African emerald cuckoo, didric, and Moluccan tan.
- Genus Surniculus: includes species such as the Philippine drongo cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus), the forked-tailed cuckoo (Surniculus dicruroides), the Asian cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris) and the Moluccan (Surniculus musschenbroeki).
- Genus Cuculus: here we find the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), which usually breeds in North Africa and Eurasia.
There are many more genera that belong to the Cuculidae family and are therefore considered cuckoo birds. All of them are about 25 centimeters long, as a general average, the males being somewhat larger. But the biggest difference between males and females is the color of the plumage, since in them they are coppery and light gray, while in them there are reddish tones.
Cuckoo Bird Environment
Cuckoos are common in many places, on the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. They are migratory birds, which in summer live in cold areas of Europe and in winter migrate to warmer areas such as Africa.
In general, they inhabit any type of wooded area, however, it is also common to see them in coastal areas and even in urban areas.
Where does the cuckoo bird live?
Cuckoos inhabit, as we have seen, really different places throughout our planet. However, all of them live in the thickets and acahuales of dry and arid areas. In general, its habitat is characterized by being located in tropical or temperate climate regions, although it can adapt relatively easily to changes in climatic conditions. Of course, they do not tolerate the cold well.
To live, they prefer holes in trees with dry leaves, as they allow them to go unnoticed among the foliage, staying there for long periods of time. Although from one year to the next they return to the same region as the previous year, it is not often exactly the same place, much less the same tree they had.
Cuckoo Bird Reproduction
Although there is such a wide variety of species within the cuckoo group, they all share a behavior: they lay their eggs in the nests of other birdsThis process is quite complicated, since the female observes another mother bird of another species to determine when she is and is not in the nest. Thus, by knowing her habits, she can take advantage when the mother is absent to exchange one of her eggs for her own
In this way, the young cuckoo is born with adoptive parents, who take care of its upbringing. In addition, the cuckoo cuckoo tends to throw the other cuckoos out of the nest when the mother is not there, remaining as the only offspring and receiving exclusive care.
Scientists have studied this behavior a lot, reaching the conclusion that this particular behavior of cuckoos is due to the fact that they present a very fast and continuous migration, which would prevent the mother from taking care of the laying. For this reason, the parasitism of other nests is a great solution to this problem, since it allows them to continue moving while ensuring that their offspring survive.
How does the cuckoo bird choose its mate?
Various scientific sources support that the choice of mate in birds works according to the smell The hormones and substances that they themselves secrete constitute a great recognition method, so male cuckoos can identify females effectively.
Although the male is the one who chooses the female he is targeting, copulation does not take place if she is not willing, so the male performs an arduous courtship, which we will tell you about next.
Cuckoo Bird Courtship
Within the courtship of cuckoos, their particular humming stands out, unique in the world of birds, as it is a song whose sound is “Cu-cu”. The song of each individual is unique and of such beauty and communicative capacity that it constitutes a great tool for the male during courtship.
During courtship, the male cuckoo has to work very hard to get the attentions of the female he is courting. First of all, he singsto her, bringing her delicious food to gain her attention and be able to reproduce. He also brings her different kinds of leaves as an offering
Cuckoo Bird Incubation
Incubation of cuckoo bird eggs is done by their adoptive parents, who incubate the egg without realizing that it is not of theirs. The female lays about 20 eggs per season, passing a minimum of 5 days between clutches, since she only produces eggs one at a time and that period is necessary for them to form a new egg.
Cuckoo Bird Incubation Time
How long does the cuckoo bird incubate? On average across all cuckoo species, the incubation period is estimated to be 12 to 16 days, with the foster parents caring for the eggs.
Cuckoo Bird Incubation Period
The eggs are laid by the mother cuckoo in another's nest between the months of May and July. After that, it takes a minimum of 12 days and a maximum of 16 until the chicks hatch and are left under the care of their adoptive parents.
How is the cuckoo bird born?
The cuckoo bird is characterized by the fact that its chicks are large, which allows them to have the strength to throw their competitors out of the nest. They are born blind and without feathers, but with the ancestral survival instinct that makes the first thing they do is remove the other eggs from the nest
These chicks remain with their adoptive parents for a time normally between 18 and 23 days of life, being fed by these parents for three more weeks (a total of between 39 and 44 days). After that period, the cuckoo bird is emancipated and continues its life, but this time in a completely autonomous and independent way. Thus, the life cycle and incubation of the cuckoo bird begins again.
In this video by Artur Homan, film director and cameraman, which he shares on his channel dedicated to wildlife, we can see how the cuckoo bird hatches, expels the rest of the eggs from the nest and it grows.
