Scientific name: Clamator glandarius (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Cuckoos
Field characters. 40 cm. Crown, crest, face and lores blue-grey; nape and hindneck brownish black; upperparts, wings and tail dark grey-brown, with apical white spots on feathers of upperparts and wings; tail with broad white margin. Underparts cream-yellow, somewhat darker on throat. Easy to recognise by its crest, spotted appearance and capped head. Juvenile similar to adult but with shorter crest, brownish black head, buffish or white spots, and chestnut primaries. Unmistakable at all life-stages. A brood-parasite, like Common Cuckoo, although it prefers members of crow family as host. Parasitises most often Magpies; female may damage host's eggs when laying hers, but does not eat them. Most of the time, however, the egg is bred together with the crow's and all young are raised.
Voice. Loud and rapid tern-like chatter, 'krikrikri'.
Distribution. Common in Spain and Turkey, very rare but increasing elsewhere; winters in Africa.
Habitat. Prefers semi-arid conditions, such as heathlands with cork oaks and cultivated areas such as olive groves. Avoids mountainous and well-forested areas. Due to dependence on brood-hosts often in same habitat as Magpie.
Food. Mainly large hairy caterpillars, from which hairs are removed before eating; also larvae of moths, locusts, beetles, ants, and occasionally lizards.