Belongs to: birds

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Large hawk-like bird with distinctive call

Habitat: gardens, marshes, heaths, fields, woods and hedges

Summer visitor to UK where it breeds; winters Africa

Barred underparts, grey upperparts, long tail and wings

Flies with wings held low; often perches high on trees in the evening

Eats insects

Lays eggs in nest of host species such as dunnock or reed warbler

8-12 eggs coloured similar to their host's, although highly variable