Submit your records of Northamptonshire’s cuckoos this spring and summer.
Travelling all the way here in spring from Central Africa, cuckoos are an iconic species of the UK countryside with their loud and distinctive call.
Did you know that it is only the male that makes the “cuck-oo” call? This call is both a sign to other males that he is in the area and holding a territory, and to any potential females that may be around. This call can be confused with that of collared doves.
However, the female also makes a call, often described as a bubbling chuckle, which is thought to mimic sparrowhawks and frighten host species off their nests.
The cuckoo is a parasitic species, with the female laying eggs in the nests of other birds, including reed warblers, dunnocks and meadow pipits. The cuckoo egg hatches first, and the young cuckoo chick gets rid of the other eggs so that it is the only chick remaining in the nest. The host is tricked into feeding this loud and hungry chick, even when it grows to a much larger size than its host parent.
How to identify cuckoos
Both male and female cuckoos have a grey-blue head, chest and wings, with barred underparts. The females may have some buff or brown feathering particularly on the throat or chest.
Cuckoos can be mistaken for sparrowhawks, as they are similar in size and colouration. However, cuckoos have shallower wingbeats, more pointed wings and a long graduated tail.
Check out the British Trust for Ornithology Cuckoo identification video for more information.
How to submit sightings of cuckoos
Cuckoo sightings can be submitted via the Northamptonshire Biological Records Centre (NBRC) using the form below. When submitting a sighting, please record whether you heard or saw the cuckoo, or both in the comments box.
Before submitting your records, please read the NBRC Privacy Policy and NBRC's record submission Terms and Conditions.
If this is your first record submission, please read our quick guide to Using the NBRC Website to Submit Biological Records.
If you would like to submit more than one sighting or plan to submit sightings on a regular basis, please create an account before you submit your sightings. You will then be able to view, edit and download all your submitted records.