COMMON CUCKOO

Cuculus canorus

English: Common Cuckoo.
German: Kuckuck.
French: Coucou gris.

Clasificación/Clasification

Order: Cuculiformes.
Family: Cuculidae.

Longitud/Length

32-36 cm.

Envergadura/Wingspan

54-60 cm.

Aves relacionadas/Similar species

Its appearance, size and color can resemble a Eurasian Sparrowhawk or a Kestrel, but the Common Cuckoo does not have a hook-shaped beak like the previous raptors.

Sexo/Sexing

Adult males have a gray neck, chin, throat and chest. This tone extends to the belly, where a clear separation begins the barred plumage. The greater and median coverts of the same gray color, without any speckling. On the other hand, adult females can present two different designs. The reddish design is close to the juvenile plumage. The gray design is a very similar plumage to the male (sometimes indistinguishable) but normally the throat and chest are tinted with ocher tones under the chest and neck sidelong barring. In this case there is no clear separation line between chest and belly. On occasions the greater and median coverts may have an ante-speckled pattern.

Juvenile specimens cannot be sexed using plumage.

Edad/Ageing

It is possible to recognize 3 different ages:

Juvenile specimen: always presents new plumage. This plumage appears with a very variable design on the back (from an intense ocher-striped pattern, to uniform gray with white borders). The flight feathers and secondary coverts have a white edge, especially visible on the outer vane. The secondaries and greater coverts have a brown-striped or speckled pattern and a white spot on the nape.

2nd-year specimens: these individuals can only be distinguished if the moult has not been complete. In this case, the flight feathers and/or secondary coverts retained with a moult limit are observed between the striped and worn juvenile feathers and the unstriped, longer and new adult feathers.

Adult specimen: its flight feathers and secondary coverts lack white borders. The secondaries also lack brown stripping and a white spot on the nape. Some adult specimens can suspend the moult, presenting during spring secondaries from two different generations, differentiated by different wear. The feathers of the older generation do not have the juvenile design.

Muda/Moult

The Common Cuckoo performs a complete postnuptial and postjuvenile moult. This process begins in the areas where it spends the winter. Both the adult and the juvenile can suspend the moult, presenting, in this case, in spring two generations of flight feathers.

Configuración del plumaje/Plumage configuration

Primaries: 10 per wing.
Secundaries: 13-14 per wing.
Rectrices: 12.

Observaciones/Remarks

Link: http://blascozumeta.com/

La obtención de este material ha sido posible gracias al permiso necesario de la Junta de Andalucía.

AUTORIZACIÓN DE LA DIRECTORA GENERAL DE MEDIO NATURAL, BIODIVERSIDAD Y ESPACIOS PROTEGIDOS DE LA CONSEJERÍA DE AGRICULTURA, GANADERÍA, PESCA Y DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE DE LA JUNTA DE ANDALUCÍA, PARA LA CESIÓN DE MUESTRAS BIOLÓGICAS DE ESPECIES DE FAUNA (ARTÍCULO 9 DE LA LEY 8/2003, DE 28 DE OCTUBRE, DE LA FLORA Y LA FAUNA SILVESTRES).

Medidas/Measures

Biometría/Biometrics

Adult specimen:
Beak tip to pupil center:
Tarsus:

2nd-year male specimen

1.- Left wing primaries. 2.- Primaries. 3.- Details of the tips of the inner primaries. 4.- Details of the tips of the outer primaries. 5.- Details of the primaries. 6.- Details of the inner vane of P3 and P4. 7.- Details of the inner vane of P5, P6 and P7. 8.- Details of the inner vane of P7, P8, P9 and P10. 9.- Details of P10. 10.- Left wing secondaries and tertials. 11.- Secondaries and tertials. 12.- Left wing tertials. 13.- Details of the tips of S2, S3, S4 and S5 (retained). 14.- Details of the outer vane of S2, S3, S4 and S5. 15.- Details of the tips of S1 and S2 (comparison between new feather and previous generation feather). 16.- Details of the secondaries and tertials. 17.- Details of the inner vane of the secondaries. 18.- Details of the inner vanes of the secondaries. 19.- Primaries, secondaries and tertials of the left wing. 20.- Primaries, secondaries and tertials of the left wing. 21.- Primaries, secondaries and tertials. Primary coverts and greater covert. 22.- Primaries, secondaries and tertials. Greater and median covert. 23.- Primaries, secondaries and tertials. Primary and secondary covert (G, M and L). Alulas. 24.- Details of the primary covert. 25.- Details of the primary covert of P9 and P10. 26.- Details of the lesser covert. 27.- Details of the greater covert (retained S2 covert feather). 28.- Details of the secondary covert (G, M and L). 29.- Primary covert. 30.- Greater covert. 31.- Alulas. 32.- Rectrices. 33.- Rectrices. 34.- Details of the rectrices. 35.- Details of R5. 36.- Rectrices + uppertail coverts. 37.- Details of the uppertail coverts. 38.- Details of the uppertail coverts. 39.- Uppertail coverts. 40.- Rectrices + undertail coverts. 41.- Details of the undertail coverts. 42.- Undertail coverts. 43.- Infra-cover primaries. 44.- Infra-cover secondaries. 45.- Assembly of the left scapula. 46.- Feathers of the left scapula. 47.- Assembly of the belly feathers. 48.- Belly feathers. 49.- Left thigh feathers. 50.- Left thigh feathers. 51.- Assembly of the back feathers. 52.- Back feathers.

COMMON CUCKOO

Medidas/Measures

2nd-year male specimen

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply