Photo: Yathin S Krishnappa / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Clamator glandarius
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) — Cuckoos & Turacos of Africa.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 143 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Cuculiformes
- Family Cuculidae Cuckoos
- Genus Clamator
- Species glandarius
Quick facts
- Weight
- 143 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Spotted Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Spotted Cuckoo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) belongs to the Cuculidae family of the order Cuculiformes. Its range spans Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers AF, PAL s Europe through AF.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 143 g, with a wing length of about 19.4 cm and a tail of around 19.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 13.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Spotted Cuckoo?
The Great Spotted Cuckoo is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 143 g.
Where does the Great Spotted Cuckoo live?
The Great Spotted Cuckoo is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering AF, PAL s Europe through AF, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Great Spotted Cuckoo belong to?
The Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.
What does the Great Spotted Cuckoo eat?
The Great Spotted Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Great Spotted Cuckoo migrate?
The Great Spotted Cuckoo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Great Spotted Cuckoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Spotted Cuckoo make?
1 real field recording of the Great Spotted Cuckoo can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Spotted Cuckoo's range?
The Great Spotted Cuckoo has a mapped global range of about 13.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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