The cuckoos are generally medium sized slender birds and almost all South Africa Cuckoos are brood parasites, meaning that they lay their eggs in the nests of other species. Most cuckoos will have a very specific “host” – for example, around big colonies of weaver nests this time of year, you will almost inevitably find a Diederik Cuckoo hanging around waiting for its chance to sneak into an unsuspecting nest. Interestingly, cuckoos will even go as far as “tailoring” the shape and colour of their eggs to match that of the host. The unsuspecting host will then raise the young cuckoo as if they were their own.
Their calls are all quite distinctive and often associated with their Afrikaans or colloquial names, for example, the Red-chested Cuckoo is known as a “Piet My Vrou” and that’s exactly what it sounds like when calling, a sound almost every South African recognizes. Others include the Klass’s Cuckoo, which has the Afrikaans name of “Meitjie” – again the name closely resembles its call, as does the Emerald Cuckoo, known in Afrikaans as the “Mooi Meisie”.
Cuckoos are a fascinating family of birds and notoriously frustrating for birders as you hear them a lot more than you see them, but be patient and keep an ear open for their calls, once you know the sound, you will find them a lot easier.
diderick cuckoo
Love the difference in size between mom and child! 
