| |
 |
 |
|
Cuckoos
»
Length: 11 inches
»
Weight: 4 oz.
»
Description: Male and female adults look similar, but
the immature cuckoo has a white spot on the nape of
its neck. Its plumage is often red-brown instead of
gray with stripes.
»
Wingspan: 20-24 inches.
»
Habitat: Generally considered a tree bird, he can also
be found outside of the forest. Each male maintains
a large territory and defends it against competitors
|
|
The cuckoo’s breeding season is from May through July. The cuckoo is
known for laying its eggs in the nests of other bird species including
pipits, warblers, and robins. Once a suitable nest is found, the laying
female sits down on the nest and lays the egg. If the nest is situated
such that this is not possible, see will lay the egg nearby on the
ground, place the egg in her bill, and carry the egg to the nest.
The eggs of the cuckoo are extraordinarily small. The color resembles
that of the birds into which nest the eggs will be placed. Each female
puts only one egg into the nest, usually only if the nesting bird
already has her own eggs in place. Each cuckoo may lay up to 25 eggs,
1 per nest. The egg hatches in the nest after approximately 12 days
at which point the nesting mother bird will feed the cuckoo as if
it is her own. The cuckoo bird will throw any remaining birds or eggs
from the nest, leaving it as the sole bird receiving food from the
nesting mother. The smaller host parents incubate the egg and feed
the young cuckoo. The host parents will continue to feed the cuckoo
even after it grows to be much larger than they are. A cuckoo chick
will also use its call to lure birds other than its host parents to
feed it.
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
 |
|
 |
| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
|
|
 |
| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Part
I
March
3, 2006