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Birds and Butterflies of Rhodes
RODOPTERA
Cuculus canorus
Common cuckoo. Greek: koukοs. Kalathos, April 2003.
Passage migrant, uncommon, sporadic breeding. Length 32-34 cm, wingspan 55-60 cm. Sexes similar, some females reddish brown. General appearance mimics Eurasian sparrow hawk and apparently facilitates egg laying in nests of other, usually smaller species preyed on by hawks. Meadows, wood clearings, farmland. Females specialize in host species. Feeds on insects, caterpillars, occasionally eggs and chicks. Straight flight, glides to perch. Characteristic two-note call.
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