Common cuckoo Common cuckoo The common cuckoo ("Cuculus canorus") is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, "Cuculiformes", which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals. This species is a widespread summer migrant to Europe and Asia, and winters in Africa. It is a brood parasite, which means it lays eggs in the nests of other bird species, particularly of dunnocks, meadow pipits, and reed warblers. Although its eggs are larger than those of its hosts, the eggs in each type of host nest resemble the host's eggs. The adult too is a mimic, in its case of the sparrowhawk;
Oriental cuckoo and has an orange gape with black patches. Within a few days it pushes the eggs or young of the host out of the nest. Older nestlings have blackish feathers with white fringes; the belly is dark brown with white bands. The young birds fledge after around 17–19 days. Oriental cuckoo The Oriental cuckoo or Horsfields cuckoo ("Cuculus optatus") is a bird belonging to the genus "Cuculus" in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Himalayan cuckoo ("C. saturatus") with the name Oriental cuckoo used for the combined species. Differences in voice and size