06/08/2026
The Eurasian cuckoo does not build nests, incubate eggs, or raise its own young.
Nest Infiltration: A female targets the nests of smaller birds, most commonly the Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, or Reed Warbler.
Egg Mimicry: She swiftly removes one host egg and lays her own, which remarkably mimics the pattern and colour of the host's eggs.
Eviction: The cuckoo egg hatches quickly (usually in 12 days). Within hours of hatching, the blind, naked cuckoo chick instinctively uses its back to scoop out and push all remaining host eggs or rightful chicks out of the nest.
Giant Nestling: The host parents blindly feed the imposter, which rapidly grows much larger than its adoptive parents.
Richard Scott Photography
