It's a bird from stories, songs and films but have you ever seen a real one? Probably not. You'd be surprised at their size, 32cm long (over a foot in old money) - most people think of them as tiny things after seeing them "living" in clocks.
Cuckoos are summer visitors to the UK. They spend the rest of the year in Africa. Many stories talk about "the first cuckoo of Spring" and this is when they start to arrive. We can expect to hear them from around April onwards.
It's the male cuckoo that "cuckoo"s. The female doesn't have a distinctive song. They have a bad reputation for laying their eggs in other birds nests (usually smaller birds). When the cuckoo hatches, the chick pushes any other eggs out of the nest and has all of the food that the foster parents can bring for itself.
The cuckoo does have a good side to it though. They like to eat harmful insects that other birds don't eat.
This is a cuckoo
Sit on the deck of one of our log cabins in the evening during Spring and early Summer and it is often possible to hear at least one cuckoo somewhere on the hill behind the cabins. There are also lots heard on the Rhinogydd mountains, especially over near to Cwm Bychan and the Roman Steps.
The Welsh for Cuckoo is "gog" or "gwcw"
Find out more about Cuckoos on the RSPB website HERE
Look out for more Cadair View Lodge Ltd wildlife blogs.
I don't claim to be a wildlife expert and I'm happy to be corrected if I've made a mistake. I'm just trying to pass on a little knowledge which enhance a visit to our wonderful part of Wales.
See our log cabin accommodation in the Heart of Eryri (Snowdonia) by clicking the button below.