The common cuckoo is known for laying its eggs in other birds’ nests across Europe and Africa.
It breeds widely across Europe and much of Asia, then migrates to sub-Saharan Africa for winter. Rather than raising its own young, a female places an egg in the nest of a host species, often one that resembles the host that raised her.
After hatching, a cuckoo chick may push out competing eggs or nestlings. This behavior is called brood parasitism, and different cuckoo populations can specialize in different host species.
The common cuckoo is not the only brood parasite, but it is one of the best-known. Its migration is also notable because individual birds can travel between Europe and Africa without their parents guiding them on the first journey.