Photo: GabrielBuissart / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Cuckoo
Cuculus canorus
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) — Cuckoos & Turacos of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 111 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 Cuculus
- Species canorus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 111 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Common Cuckoo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a species of bird in the Cuculidae family, part of the order Cuculiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 111 g, with a wing length of about 19.2 cm and a tail of around 15.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 37.3 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Cuckoo?
The Common Cuckoo is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 111 g.
Where does the Common Cuckoo live?
The Common Cuckoo is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Common Cuckoo belong to?
The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.
What does the Common Cuckoo eat?
The Common Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Cuckoo migrate?
The Common Cuckoo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common 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 Common Cuckoo make?
1 real field recording of the Common Cuckoo can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Cuckoo's range?
The Common Cuckoo has a mapped global range of about 37.3 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.
Explore more birds
More in Cuculidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Cuckoos & Turacos
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern