The European Cuckoo

The European cuckoo is a bird that lets other birds take care of its babies.

When a European cuckoo is ready to lay her eggs, she does not make a nest. She looks for another bird's nest. She must find one for each of her eggs.

After she has found a nest, she watches and waits. Soon the other mother bird leaves. Then the cuckoo goes into the nest and takes away one of the bird's eggs.

As fast as she can, the cuckoo lays one of her eggs in its place. Then, before the other bird shows up, the cuckoo flies off to find the next nest.

Soon the other bird flies back. She does not know that there is a cuckoo egg in her nest. So she sits on it along with her own eggs. Later, when the baby cuckoo comes out, the bird cares for it as if it were her own.

Many times the baby cuckoo comes out of its egg before the other birds come out of theirs. Then it starts to push the other eggs out of the nest.

After a while the mother bird does not have as many babies that need to eat. This means more food for the baby cuckoo. After about three weeks, the cuckoo is ready to fly from the nest.

Next spring it will have eggs of its own. And it will have some other birds take care of them!