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Key information: The Great Spotted Cuckoo is a crow-sized bird with a large prominent tail. It comes to Cyprus in the spring to breed in dry open areas, especially where there are Magpies and Hooded Crows around. It is often seen flying low and fast or hopping on the ground, with its tail lifted. It is quite noisy and loud and has a variety of distinctive calls, which give the bird’s presence away. It often lays its eggs in the nests of Magpies.

Length: 35 – 39 cm

Habitat: Scrub and bushes, farmland

When they can be seen: Spring, summer

What they eat: Invertebrates, fruits

In Cyprus: Can be seen in farmland or scrubland areas in Cyprus

Status: Passage migrant, migrant breeder

Illustration by Paschalis Dougalis