Common Cuckoo

Common cuckoos breed across much of Europe and Asia, reaching Russia, China, India, and Japan, although they are absent from large portions of western China and Mongolia. After breeding, they migrate to central and southern Africa or southern Asian destinations including Vietnam, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Their habitats vary because successful breeding depends heavily on the presence of suitable host species. The familiar call is principally associated with males advertising during the breeding season (Animal Diversity Web).

Insects dominate the common cuckoo's diet, including hairy caterpillars that many other birds avoid because of their defensive hairs and bitter taste. Crickets, beetles, dragonflies, and assorted larvae are also eaten, while females sometimes consume host eggs or nestlings. Common cuckoos are brood parasites: rather than raising their own offspring, females place eggs in other birds' nests. Different females may specialize on particular host species, with egg appearance helping the cuckoo's egg resemble those already present (Animal Diversity Web).