The cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) has a grey head, barred underparts and bright yellow eye-ring. Sleek and falcon-like, it has pointed wings that droop slightly when perched and a long, graduated tail. It gives an uncanny resemblance to a sparrowhawk in flight and the two are often confused - look at the tail to help distinguish between them. 

The cuckoo has an extraordinary breeding behaviour. Rather than building a nest, cuckoos are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other birds such as reed warblers, meadow pipits and dunnocks. The female waits patiently for her moment, often when the host is away, before swiftly laying a single egg. Remarkably, these eggs often closely resemble those of their host species.

Once hatched, the young cuckoo wastes no time. Using a remarkable instinct, it pushes any other eggs or chicks out of the nest, ensuring it receives all the food brought by its unsuspecting foster parents. Its loud begging call mimics a whole brood of chicks, prompting the adults to work tirelessly, even as the young cuckoo grows far larger than them.

Cuckoos are also valuable insect hunters, feeding largely on invertebrates, with hairy caterpillars a particular favourite - prey avoided by many other birds. 

Cuckoos are long-distance travellers, spending the winter in sub-Saharan Africa before returning to the UK in spring. Their stay is short-lived: many adult cuckoos begin their return journey south as early as late June, with young birds following weeks later on an instinctive migration to Africa.

Sadly, the cuckoo’s call is no longer as widespread as it once was. Declines in UK populations are linked to habitat loss, pressures on their host species and challenges along migration routes. 

We work to drive nature’s recovery by restoring and protecting vital habitats, from reedbeds and wetlands, to woodlands and grazing marshes, supporting cuckoos and the species they depend on. 

By restoring these habitats at scale and creating richer, more connected landscapes, we are helping ensure that this much-loved sound of spring continues to echo across our countryside for years to come.