Wildlifeof Thailand
Lesser Cuckoo
Cuculidae
Photo: Tisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Cuculus poliocephalus
Basic stats
Diet
Insects, especially caterpillars
Habitat
Forest and wooded country
Range
Europe and Asia; winters in Africa and Southeast Asia
Size
25–28cm
The lesser cuckoo is a small grey cuckoo with barred underparts, pointed wings and a long tail, resembling a reduced common cuckoo. It breeds across parts of Europe and Asia and migrates to Africa and Southeast Asia. It searches forest and wooded country for insects, especially caterpillars, and is a brood parasite whose females place their eggs in nests of small songbirds (Wikipedia, general species account). It is Nationally Least Concern (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Lesser Cuckoo eat?
- Insects, especially caterpillars
- What habitat does the Lesser Cuckoo live in?
- Forest and wooded country
- Where is the Lesser Cuckoo found?
- Europe and Asia; winters in Africa and Southeast Asia
- How big is the Lesser Cuckoo?
- 25–28cm