Common Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

Order:

Cuculiformes

Family:

Cuculidae

Size:

32-34 cm

Weight:

M 114-133 g, F 106-112 g

Taxonomy:

C. c. canorus (Linnaeus, 1758) and C. c. subtelephonus (Zarudny, 1914)

Short Description:

The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a medium-sized cuckoo species found in Pakistan. It has a slender body, long tail, and a relatively short, slightly curved bill. The adult male has a grey upper body with a barred black and white belly, while the female has a brownish coloration with similar markings. Both genders have a distinct red eye-ring and a barred tail.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast

In Pakistan, the Common Cuckoo is found in various habitats, including forests, woodlands, scrublands, and gardens. It is distributed across different regions of the country, including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. During the breeding season, they are commonly observed in their breeding grounds across the country.

Common Cuckoos are primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of insects and their larvae. They are often solitary birds and can be quite secretive in their behavior, frequently staying concealed within dense vegetation. During the breeding season, males may sing melodious calls to attract mates and establish territories. Common Cuckoos are notorious for their brood parasitic behavior, laying their eggs in the nests of other bird species, particularly warblers and pipits. They are known to mimic the calls of their host species, further enhancing their ability to deceive them. Overall, Common Cuckoos play a role in controlling insect populations and contribute to the biodiversity of Pakistan’s avifauna.