The great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) has tips of the wing and tail feathers in brilliant white and they appear as spots when the wings are closed - giving the bird its name. It is widely spread throughout Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. Although it is a brood parasite like the Common Cuckoo, the Great Spotted Cuckoo has very different hosts: Magpies and Carrion Crows. When laying in a Magpie’s nest the female Great Spotted Cuckoo is usually in and out within 10 seconds; for Carrion Crows, which have open, not domed nests, it can be as quick as 3 seconds – again, to avoid attack. The eggs hatch before those of the host: the Magpie’s incubation period is 18-22 days, the Cuckoo’s only 12-14 days.
