Common Cuckoo: Nest & eggs

No — the Common Cuckoo builds no nest of its own at all, which sets it apart from almost every other Swedish bird.

• No nest of its own: the cuckoo gathers no material and establishes no nest site, since it lays its eggs in the nests of host birds.
• Does not incubate: the female never incubates herself but leaves the eggs to be warmed by the host bird, which believes them to be its own.
• Common hosts: in Sweden it uses the nests of Meadow Pipit, Whinchat, Sedge Warbler, European Robin and White Wagtail.

The female may lay 10–20 eggs per season, each one quickly placed in a fresh host nest in just a few seconds.

More about the Common Cuckoo

• Song & calls
• Breeding
• Diet
• In winter