Surely on more than one occasion you have heard of the cuckoo bird. It is a very peculiar bird, since it stands out for its reproductive behavior. Also, it appears in many sayings, which makes it a very popular bird. If you want to know why it is so well known and what the cuckoo's song is supposed to announce, I recommend that you keep reading, because
In this post we are going to explain what the cuckoo bird is and why we say that it is the "squatter" bird. We will comment in detail on its method of reproduction and we will quote some other proverb that includes this bird. So feel free to take a look at this article. If you like the subject, you will find it very interesting.
What is the cuckoo bird?
Let's start with the most basic: What is the cuckoo bird. Well, the common cuckoo, scientifically known as Cuculus canorus, It is a species of migratory bird who is part of the family Cuculidae. It usually breeds in North Africa and the Eurasian continent. There we can find it in groves, in wooded and open areas and in cultivated fields. As for migration, it is towards Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Most commonly, cuckoos have greyish plumage, with black and white stripes on the flanks and belly. However, it is possible that the youngest and some females have a brown color and not gray. They are generally between 32 and 34 centimeters long, while their wingspan ranges between 55 and 60 centimeters. In addition, they have relatively short legs. But why do they have this curious name? Well then, The cuckoo owes its name to its song, which is very characteristic. In spring it is very common to hear it in the woods. Surely it sounds familiar to you, it is the typical "cu cu".
Regarding food, the cuckoo is an insectivorous bird. Their favorite food is caterpillars, which are less appetizing to many other birds. On occasion it can also feed on the chicks of other birds and on eggs. The cuckoo's habits are quite solitary. There are two characteristics that make it stand out from other birds: Their typical "cu cu" song, and the fact that the females lay their eggs in other people's nests (This typical behavior of the cuckoo will be discussed later).
What does the cuckoo announce?
According to various proverbs and idioms, the song of the cuckoo heralds the arrival of spring. As we have already mentioned above, the cuckoo is a Migratory bird. That is to say: Before it starts to get too cold, he undertakes a trip to Africa, where he stays until the temperatures of the place of his origin rise again, which corresponds to the beginning of spring. Therefore, when the cuckoos have already returned and are heard singing, it means that spring is almost upon us.
There are many sayings and sayings that talk about the cuckoo and its announcing song. We will cite an example below. In this case, he talks about this bird and also about the mulberry, another indicator of the beginning of spring thanks to the appearance of its leaves.
To the cuquillo and to the moral
The storm does not deceive you.
I deceive the cuquillo,
But to the moral, no.
Apart from this saying, also there are other well-known phrases that have to do with the cuckoo bird. Let's look at three more examples:
- "When the cuckoo sings, how much it rains in eight days, it dries up in one."
- «When the cuckoo arrives, then it is spring; if the cuckoo hasn't arrived yet, spring hasn't started.»
- "When the cuckoo sings, wet during the day and dry at night."
Cuckoo: The squatter bird, or the bird with the worst parents
Why do we say that the cuckoo is the squatting bird? Or why is there a belief that cuckoos are bad parents? Well, both statements have their explanation. This species is not only known for announcing the arrival of spring, but also for delegating the care of its young. When the female is about to lay the egg, she looks for the unguarded nest of another smaller bird species. Once there, she eats one of the eggs and lays her own. This type of behavior is known as "laying parasitism".
On some occasions, the future parents of the nest notice and resist. They can harass the female cuckoo so that she does not lay her egg, or even throw it away if it is already laid. It may also be the case that they simply leave the nest. However, on many occasions it works out well for the female cuckoo, and it is other birds that end up raising their chick. In fact, there is also a proverb for this behavior. This one says the following:
You are like the cuckoo, girl,
bird that never nests;
lays the egg in someone else's
and another bird breeds him.
When the eggs hatch, despite noticing the difference, the parents of the original nest feed all the chicks, including the intruder. Right after birth, on many occasions the little cuckoo instinctively drives the other eggs and chicks out of the nest, to be left alone and monopolize all the food that the involuntary adoptive parents acquire. They carry out this task until the invading chick doubles their size and ends up leaving the nest. It should be noted that if there was another cuckoo chick, both would try to kill the other.
Note that not all cuckoo species carry out laying parasitism. However, all the species that inhabit Europe do, in general. Therefore, it is not surprising that they are the "squatters" of other nests, or that they have a reputation for bad parents, since they abandon their young to be cared for by other birds.
What do you think of this survival tactic? It is truly amazing how the animal world develops different strategies to make its way.