http___www.springalive.net_ga-ie_springalive_cuach_1.xml
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The Cuckoo is a dove sized bird with ash-grey upper parts and a dark-barred white belly. They are usually very hard to spot. If you do manage to see one you will probably see it as a dark, streamlined shape flying quite fast across fields between woodlands. It is far more likely that you will hear one. A male Cuckoo announces its presence with its characteristic 'cuck -oo' call. The Cuckoo does not breed in Cyprus but a few are seen each year as it passes through the island on its way to its European breeding grounds. It is very unlikely that one would be heard calling here. Cuckoos are fairly common in all types of terrain, in woodland and in open country right up to mountain slopes. The most interesting thing about the Cuckoo is that it does not make its own nest. It lays its egg in the nest of other species. The young Cuckoo hatches before the other bird's own eggs and pushes the rest of the eggs out of the nest. What do they eat? Insects - mainly caterpillars and beetles. The Cuckoo does not specialise in a particular species but will take advantage of those that are the most numerous and therefore the easiest to find and catch. Cuckoo's nests Instead of building their own nest, they use the nests of 'host' birds, such as Dunnocks and Meadow Pipits. When a female Cuckoo finds a suitable nest, and the owners are away, she will remove one of their eggs and lay her own in its place. Usually these nests belong to birds that are much smaller than the baby Cuckoo. The 'parent' birds must work even harder to feed their giant baby which they assume is their own. Wintering sites The Cuckoos that breed in Europe usually winter in Africa, especially in savanna areas. Some birds from the western part of Asia may winter in Europe, others in Asia up to New Guinea in the Pacific. Populations of Cuckoos in Europe The European population of Cuckoos is quite large and stable although recent reductions in Western Europe have been noticed, especially in France.
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Éan cosúil leis an Colmán í an Chuach, le ceann agus droim ar liath na luatha agus bolg bán le línte dorcha. Níl sé éasca iad a fheiceáil; má fheiceann tú cheann, is cosúil le cruth dorcha, sruthlíneach ag eitilt go tapaidh transa na páirce í don chuid is mó, idir limistéir faoi chrainn go minic. Tá sé i bhfad níos éasca iad a chloisint, áfach: canann an Chuach fireann ‘cuck-oo, cuck-oo’ chun a chur in iúl go bhuil sé sa réigiún, an glór céanna a dhéanann clog cuaiche! Tá laghdú tagtha ar an méid Cuach in Éirinn, agus níl siad le feiceáil chomh minic is a bhí siad fiche nó tríocha bliana ó shin. Tá an Chuach le feiceáil i ngach saghas tír-raoin, i limistéir faoi chrainn agus i limistéir oscailte, chomh maith le fánaí sléibhe. 'Sé an rud is suimiúil faoin Chuach ná go n-úsáideann sí neadacha éan eile: cuireann an t-éan baineann a huibheacha i neadacha éan eile. Tagann na Cuacha as an ubh roimh éiníní beaga na tuismitheoirí altramais. Chomh luath is a thagann an sicín Cuaiche as an ubh, caitheann sé na huibheacha eile as an nead. Cad a itheann siad? Feithidí – bratóga agus ciaróga don chuid is mó. Ní itheann an Chuach aon speiceas speisialta, ach gabhann sí na feithidí is mó atá ar fáil ina limistéar áitiúil, na feithidí atá an-éasca a aimsiú agus a ghabháil. Neadacha na Cuach Ní dhéanann an Chuach a nead féin a thógáil, ach úsáideann siad neadacha éan eile, mar shampla an Donnóg agus an Riabhóg mhóna. Nuair a fheiceann Cuach bhaineann nead oiriúnach, caitheann sí uibheacha an éin eile amach as an nead agus an t-éan eile imithe ón nead agus cuireann sá a ubh féin sa nead. Uaireanta, baineann na neadacha seo le héin atá i bhfad níos lú ná an sicín Cuaiche. Bíonn ar na héin ‘tuismitheora’ níos mó obair a dhéanamh chun bia a fháil don sicín ábhalmhór, mar cheapann siad gurbh é a sicín féin atá ann. Suímh geimhrithe Na Cuacha, a thógálann a neadacha san Eoraip, geimhríonn siad san Afraic, ar na sabhánaí de ghnáth. Ina theannta sin, geimhríonn roinnt de na héin a thagann ó iarthar na Áise san Eoraip, roinnt eile san Áise, suas go dtí an Nua-Ghuine san tAigéan Ciúin. Líon na Cuach san Eoraip Is speiceas láidir í an Chuach agus tá líon na Cuaiche cobhsaí go leor ann san Eoraip faoi láthair, cé go bhfuil laghdú tagtha ar an méid Cuach in Iarthar na hEorpa le déanaí anuas, go háirithe sa Fhrainc.