. British birds with their nests and eggs . ; remainder of under parts white, barred with dull brown : bill blackish,with yellow edges, the base paler; feet, and iris yellow. The sexes are generallyalike in plumage, but the female is said sometimes to show a slight rufous tingeon the breast. The young have the upper parts grey, barred with dull chestnut,the feathers edged with white : iris at first grey, subsequently brown. The Cuckoo usually arrives in this country some time in April, and starts onthe return migration in August or September, the young birds being the last to. o OO o o The Cuc
. British birds with their nests and eggs . ; remainder of under parts white, barred with dull brown : bill blackish,with yellow edges, the base paler; feet, and iris yellow. The sexes are generallyalike in plumage, but the female is said sometimes to show a slight rufous tingeon the breast. The young have the upper parts grey, barred with dull chestnut,the feathers edged with white : iris at first grey, subsequently brown. The Cuckoo usually arrives in this country some time in April, and starts onthe return migration in August or September, the young birds being the last to. o OO o o The Cuckoo. 49 leave ns. It is not limited to any particular style of country, bciii;^ met withequally in moorland or forest, arable land or fruit-garden. (Jn tlic wing it ispowerful, its flight being usually direct, l)iit occasionally with a wild swervingcharacter which reminds one of a frightened Pigeon. Where trees are believe that this bird prefers to alight on tliem, and never descends to theground unless from necessity; its somewhat sliort legs and the character of itstoes make its progression upon the earth both awkward and ludicrous, sometimesresembling the clumsy waddle of a PaiTot, but frequently consisting of a series ofjumps. The note of the Cuckoo is often ivhoo-coo, the c sound even in the latterhalf of its nate being very imperfectly defined ; but some males also sound theinitial c—coock-00: I have heard both notes equally common]}, and I believe thatthey are peculiar to individual birds. Frequently in the spring, and especiallywhen it has been cha
Size: 1237px × 2021px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1896