Bird of the Year - The Common Cuckoo

The 13th bird of the year selected by the Estonian Ornithological Society is the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). It is one of the most exceptional bird species in Estonian nature, and is widespread and well known. Cuckoos do not build nests, nor tend to be in a permanent pair. As an insectivorous nest parasite, it leaves the care of its young to the nest owners (the servant species) of its choice. There are up to 100,000 cuckoos in Estonia and their numbers have been declining in recent decades, probably due to both a general decline of the number of servant species and the climate change. The cuckoo arrives in Estonia at the end of April or the beginning of May and leaves in August. The wintering grounds of the cuckoo are presumably in the rainforests of the Congo River area, south of the equator.