Great Spotted Cuckoo

Clamator glandarius (Linnaeus, 1758) UK GRSCU 7160
Family: Cuculiformes > Cuculidae

Great Spotted Cuckoo, Philip Croft

A rare visitor from Southern Europe, this species is a brood parasite. Unlike our Common Cuckoo, however, the female Great Spotted Cuckoo will lay up to five eggs in a single nest.

Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Great Spotted Cuckoo

  • Breeding
  • Winter
766 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
766 records

BTO RECORDS

766 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
766 records

BTO RECORDS

Identification

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Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

DISTRIBUTION

This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

  • Great Spotted Cuckoo breeding distribution 2008-11
    Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011.
    More from the Atlas Mapstore.
  • Great Spotted Cuckoo winter distribution 2008-11
    Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
    More from the Atlas Mapstore.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

DISTRIBUTION CHANGE

This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

SEASONALITY

Great Spotted Cuckoo is a rare vagrant, usually recorded in spring.

Weekly occurence of Great Spotted Cuckoo from BirdTrack
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about Great Spotted Cuckoo, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

BIOMETRICS

Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Welsh: Cog Frech
Catalan: cucut reial europeu
Czech: kukacka chocholatá
Danish: Skadegøg
Dutch: Kuifkoekoek
Estonian: harakkägu
Finnish: harakkakäki
French: Coucou geai
German: Häherkuckuck
Hungarian: pettyes kakukk
Icelandic: Dílagaukur
Irish: Mórchuach Bhreac
Italian: Cuculo dal ciuffo
Latvian: liela cekuldzeguze
Lithuanian: didžioji kuoduotoji gegute
Norwegian: Skjæregjøk
Polish: kukulka czubata
Portuguese: cuco-rabilongo
Slovak: kukavica chochlatá
Slovenian: copasta kukavica
Spanish: Críalo europeo
Swedish: skatgök

Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com

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