Common Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

The Common Cuckoo's two-note "cu-coo" call is the quintessential sound of the European spring. Grey above with a barred white belly, it resembles a small hawk in flight — a mimicry that helps it approach host nests undetected. A notorious brood parasite, the female lays eggs in other birds' nests, leaving foster parents to raise her young.