Songbird Saturday: Cuckoo

Can you think of a more famous bird call than that of the Cuckoo? Its succinct two-note phrase, which has given the bird its common name, has inspired creatives the world over, from German clock-makers to British poets.

Summer visitors to our shores, male Cuckoos typically arrive from Africa in mid- to late-April – 14th April, St. Tiburtius Day, is the 'traditional' date to hear your first Cuckoo, but actual dates vary year to year. The birds are only with us a short time, leaving as early as the start of June. Because of this, the (male) bird’s “cuck-ooo, cuck-ooo” call is an eagerly awaited harbinger of spring, with associations across different cultures of fertility, prosperity and good fortune.

So intrinsically linked with our seasons and folklore has the Cuckoo been over the centuries that its return dates are locally noted and religiously recorded. Ask any countryside-dweller and they will likely be able to tell you exactly when they heard their first Cuckoo of the season. – interestingly the earliest confirmed Cuckoo sighting in the UK was on 20^th February, 1953 in Surrey, unusually early.

So how do you recognise the call of the Cuckoo? Aside from its unmistakable two-syllable “cuck-ooo” sound – with a higher, louder first syllable – it is loud, quite deep for a bird-call, rich and resonant. It is usually repeated at intervals but on occasion a three-syllable call might be uttered in excitement. These are heard from spring as birds compete with rival males, attract mates and mark out territories, with calls decreasing by June.

The hallmark “cuck-ooo” call, however, belongs to the male and the female has a call all of her own: a bubbling chuckle often likened to the sound of water. This is also used to attract a mate but is seldom heard.

Even if you do hear the Cuckoo it does not guarantee you will be able to see it, however, as both males and females are shy and secretive. Plus, despite their size – around the size of a dove – their sparrowhawk-like plumage makes them well camouflaged, as they tend to be found in moorland, heathland and in the edges of wetland where their host species, like Meadow Pipit, live. These brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, tricking them into raising their young. This is why Cuckoos of both sexes are able to embark on their journeys south back to Africa so early – they have no parental duties to fulfil.

Migrant birds like Cuckoos are barometers of environmental health and as such their numbers have plummeted in recent decades – by 65% since 1980s, according to the British Trust for Ornithology – making it a red list species, the highest conservation priority.

While this characterful bird has disappeared from parts of the UK entirely, it can still be heard (and sometimes seen) in other areas, including parts of Wales – including Montgomeryshire – and Scotland. 

It has never been more important to listen out for – and indeed to record – each and every Cuckoo call you’re lucky enough to hear, as these fascinating birds need our help.

Cuckoo call at a glance:

WHEN: The Cuckoo returns to the UK to breed around mid- to late-April and starts calling immediately. The birds are typically here through May and June, leaving from late June into July.

WHERE: These birds are most likely to be spotted in heathland, moorland and other upland areas, as well as wetland fringes, where their host birds, like Meadow Pipit, are found.

WHAT: Males make a loud, resonant, two-syllabled “cuck-ooo” call which is generally repeated at intervals, with an occasional three-syllabled variation. Females produce a very different rapid, bubbling chuckle; much less heard, this sound is used to attract the mate.