Fun Lesser Cuckoo Facts For Kids
Gallery
Do you want to identify the smallest cuckoo in the world? Let's make your search easy.
Among all the cuckoo species, the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is the smallest.
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is a monotypic species of the Aves class and Cuculiformes order. The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is also known as the Asian lesser cuckoo, Asian little cuckoo, Asian small cuckoo, Petit coucou in French, Gackelkuckuck in German, and Cuco chico in Spanish.
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is called hototogisu in Japan and often praised for its song. The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is also recognized by the Chinese culture and the Korean literature.
The lesser cuckoos (cuculus poliocephalus) are brooding parasites and lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, known as the host. The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is a migrant bird, and is found in northern Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, foothills of the Himalayas, Myanmar, Vietnam, eastern Russia, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan.
The breeding population of the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) travels to different cities in India, and the wintering range is distributed in some parts of Africa and Sri Lanka.
However, in the city of Hainan (China), the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is a resident bird. The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is very closely related to the madagascar cuckoo (cuculus rochii), and sunda cuckoo (cuculus lepidus), and they are often treated as conspecific species.
For more relatable content, check out these black cuckoo facts and yellow-billed cuckoo facts for kids.
Lesser Cuckoo Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a lesser cuckoo?
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is a bird species of the Cuculus genus and Cuculiformes order.
What class of animal does a lesser cuckoo belong to?
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) belongs to the Aves class that includes all birds.
How many lesser cuckoos are there in the world?
The population size of the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is currently unknown.
Where does a lesser cuckoo live?
The breeding range of the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is found in the northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, South Korea, North Korea, Eastern Russia and Japan. The wintering range of the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is found in Sri Lanka and Africa.
What is a lesser cuckoo's habitat?
Lesser cuckoos (cuculus poliocephalus) are very forest dependent (evergreen montane forests, temperate forests, foothill forests, coniferous forests, and mixed pine-oak forests) but they can also be found in the tropical and sub-tropical high altitude shrublands and dry savanna ecosystems.
Who do lesser cuckoos live with?
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) prefer to be solitary and only tend to be in pairs during the mating season.
How long does a lesser cuckoo live?
The longest record of a living lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is seven years.
How do they reproduce?
The breeding season of the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) starts from May and ends in July. It is a brooding parasite and chooses to lay its eggs in the nests of small warblers, wren-babblers, and shortwings.
It relies on these host species to raise its young cuckoo, usually pushing out the eggs of the host within a few days after the hatching.
What is their conservation status?
Lesser cuckoos (cuculus poliocephalus) are of the Least Concern, according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Lesser Cuckoo Fun Facts
What do lesser cuckoos look like?
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is small but compact and stumpy in shape. The adult male species are grey in color with a black-barred tail, covered with white spots.
The female species are usually rufous in color, along with dark bars across their wings. The young lesser cuckoo is brown in color with faint white feathers. All of them have dark eyes and pale-yellow feet in common.
How cute are they?
Lesser cuckoos (cuculus poliocephalus) are not considered very cute due to their dark grey color and sharp eyes.
How do they communicate?
No information is given regarding regarding the communication of the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus).
How big is a lesser cuckoo?
The average lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is 8.66-10.63 in (22-27 cm) long, which is 10 times the size of an oriental cockroach.
How fast can a lesser cuckoo fly?
There is insufficient data regarding the flying speed of the lesser cuckoo.
How much does a lesser cuckoo weigh?
The average weight of a lesser cuckoo is 0.08-0.13 lb (40-59 g)
What are the male and female names of the species?
These species do not have any sex-specific names. They are simply referred to as male lesser cuckoo and female lesser cuckoo.
What would you call a baby lesser cuckoo?
No specific name is given to the baby of the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus).
What do they eat?
The lesser cuckoos (cuculus poliocephalus) are omnivores and feed on caterpillars, grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles, crickets, cicadas, dragonflies, mantids, fruits, berries, and other plant matter.
Are they dangerous?
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) are wild animals and are hence considered extremely dangerous.
Would they make a good pet?
No, the lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) would not make a good pet. It is illegal to keep them as a pet in most of the world.
Did you know...
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is a completely migrant bird. It is only a resident in the city of Hainan in China.
What is the call of the lesser cuckoo?
Lesser cuckoos (cuculus poliocephalus) are mostly recognized by their song which is a short phrase of jumbled notes, and sounds like "eat-your-choKY-pepper!", with the latter call being louder than the former call. Their loud, distinctive, and bubbling voice keeps getting repeated monotonously.
Comparison with other cuckoos
The lesser cuckoo (cuculus poliocephalus) is the most identifiable by sight among all the species of cuckoos because it is the smallest in its size and shape. It is also the most widely spaced among all the cuckoos.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these birds from our bowerbird facts and hummingbird facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable lesser cuckoo coloring pages.
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science
Christian MbaBachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science
Christian Mba is an experienced blogger and content writer with over a decade of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Nigeria and has a keen interest in Python programming. Along with his writing and blogging expertise, he is also an SEO specialist with more than six years of experience. Chris, as he is commonly known, has a passion for music and enjoys playing the piano.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.
