Birds
Common Cuckoo
Cuculus canorus · Cuc
The well-known brood parasite whose call announces spring.
At a glance
- Status in Romania
- Summer visitor
- Habitat
- Forest / Meadow / Wetland
- Activity
- Morning · Daytime
- Diet
- Mainly insects, especially caterpillars, plus spiders and snails; occasionally eggs or chicks of other birds.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Difficult
Photography Guide
Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.
- Where and how to look
- Reedbeds and woodland edges in May, when males call constantly.
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime
- Photography difficulty
- Difficult
- Ethics
- Keep away from nests, do not use playback in the breeding season, and let the bird decide how close it comes.
Identification
Slim grey bird with a long tail, pointed wings and barred underparts; some females are rufous.
Habitat
Very varied habitats, which widens the range of host species it can parasitise.
Distribution
Found across Romania.
Approximate range in Romania
Diet
Mainly insects, especially caterpillars, plus spiders and snails; occasionally eggs or chicks of other birds.
Behaviour
An obligate brood parasite: the female lays her eggs in other birds' nests.
Seasonality in Romania
A migratory species that breeds in Romania. Arrives from mid-April and leaves for the wintering grounds in August–September.
- JanUnknown
- FebUnknown
- MarUnknown
- AprPresent
- MayPresent
- JunPresent
- JulPresent
- AugPresent
- SepUnknown
- OctUnknown
- NovUnknown
- DecUnknown
Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. * Event timing retained from the earlier entry, not yet source-verified.
Breeding
Breeds from late April to June.