Common Cuckoo

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Uncommon bird: +3 points when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Reedbeds, moorland, farmland (summer).
Diet: Caterpillars.
Best time to spot: Brood parasite; iconic call.

When to look

A summer visitor, typically in the UK from April to August. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Common Cuckoo sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Pallid CuckooLegendary · Open woodland (extreme vagrant)
• Common Reed WarblerUncommon · Reedbeds (summer)
• Eurasian HobbyUncommon · Heathland
• European Golden PloverUncommon · Moorland (summer); fields (winter)
• MerlinUncommon · Moorland (summer); coast (winter)
• Barn SwallowCommon · Farmland (summer)

Kit that helps

Best binoculars for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.