Listen to the great spotted cuckoo
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the great spotted cuckoo
The great spotted cuckoo is a bird in the family Cuculidae (order Cuculiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 138 g.
What does the great spotted cuckoo sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
From Wikipedia
The great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.
It is widely spread throughout Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. It is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of corvids, in particular the Eurasian magpie.
More from the family Cuculidae
Common cuckoo
Cuculus canorus
Greater coucal
Centropus sinensis
Common hawk-cuckoo
Hierococcyx varius
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Indian cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus
Lesser coucal
Centropus bengalensis
Guira cuckoo
Guira guira
Sirkeer malkoha
Taccocua leschenaultii
Large hawk-cuckoo
Hierococcyx sparverioides
African cuckoo
Cuculus gularis
Klaas's cuckoo
Chrysococcyx klaas
Black cuckoo
Cuculus clamosus
Frequently asked questions
What does a great spotted cuckoo sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the great spotted cuckoo on this page. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the great spotted cuckoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the great spotted cuckoo as “least concern”.
What family does the great spotted cuckoo belong to?
The great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) belongs to the family Cuculidae in the order Cuculiformes.
Sources & credits
- Clamator glandarius, bedelroep, Hartbeesfontein, b by JMK – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Clamator glandarius, bedelroep, Hartbeesfontein, a by JMK – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q665363 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Great spotted cuckoo – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Yathin S Krishnappa – CC BY-SA 3.0