What features should I look for in great spotted cuckoo? (1 Viewer)

[Evan Atkinson]

Hey all, about 10 minutes ago I had a brief sighting of a cuckoo species fly across my bus heading towards Mottingham station, near London UK. It had a long tail, and I thought I could make out some features but I was unable to. I saw it again very briefly after it departed from a tree a couple hundred metres from me. So my question is, what should I look for that points towards a great spotted cuckoo? It is highly unlikely that what I saw was one but I would like to know what separates the two species.

Many thanks,
Ev

 

[THE_FERN]

They are very different. On a brief view, common Cuckoo can give the impression of a bird of prey. All dark steel blue-grey with a long tail (bars on chest may not be visible). Some are all brown (rarer).

Great spotted Cuckoo has dark or grey uppers. Underparts are pale.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

I think it is fair to say that a glimpse of a GS Cuckoo does not call for an instant thought of cuckoo; more like “what’s up with the colour of that magpie?”

 

[Evan Atkinson]

I think it is fair to say that a glimpse of a GS Cuckoo does not call for an instant thought of cuckoo; more like “what’s up with the colour of that magpie?”

That's true but it was definitely a cuckoo sp, probably just a common cuckoo as there was no white at all in the wings, and it was a silvery blue colour, with no black at all on it which rules out magpie straight away. I saw it well enough the first time to know that it was a cuckoo species. I think I can conclude that it was a common cuckoo, as none of the features suggested were present in the bird I saw.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I think it is fair to say that a glimpse of a GS Cuckoo does not call for an instant thought of cuckoo; more like “what’s up with the colour of that magpie?”

I would agree with this ...if a briefly seen bird suggests 'cuckoo' and you're left pondering if it could be a Great Spotted Cuckoo, then it is not a Great Spotted Cuckoo.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I would agree with this ...if a briefly seen bird suggests 'cuckoo' and you're left pondering if it could be a Great Spotted Cuckoo, then it is not a Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Having seen a few this spring here in Cyprus, especially when calling in flight, they remind me of a large Parakeet in shape.