The feathered home-wrecker
THE call of the male cuckoo, usually heard in April—but sometimes earlier—is firmly associated with the arrival of the British spring. So much so that, into the middle of the 20th century, The Times published first cuckoo letters from readers, following the birds’ arrival from their African wintering grounds.
The sound may be as close as you get to the bird, as cuckoos are secretive. However, if you do spot one, you may be surprised at its size. In the years before migration was an accepted fact, some thought their absence for most of the year could be explained by an ability to change into a hawk and back again. In fact, with their long wings and tail, as well as black barring across the chest, cuckoos can, indeed, look like sparrowhawks.
Although the evocative , heard in the distance on a gentle spring day, is one of Nature’s great delights, that’s about as charming as this bird gets. In truth, if the cuckoo were human, it would be considered a rogue, a fraudster and, not to put too fine a point on it, a cheat.
