In mid-June 2013, during my three nights recording session in the Karigasniemi area in Lapland, northern Finland, I was lucky enough to find a permanent song post, a 2.5 meters tall "stick" (remnants of an alpine birch) of a male Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). This track includes samples of three recording sessions with three different microphones. Note that this is not a microphone comparison test as recordings were made on different days, from different distances, and using (partly) different recorders, just an example of what can be done with three different mics.

One Cuckoo, Three Microphones

Description
Recording of the song and call of the cuckoo. The British summer would not be complete without the unmistakeable two-tone song of the male cuckoo. In flight this bird displays a long tail and pointed wings, resulting in it being often mistaken for a sparrowhawk. Its slender bill is ideal for eating insects, spiders, worms and centipedes. The adult male has grey upperparts and pale underparts, the latter being strongly barred. Females are similar although some individuals can appear brown. The cuckoo is not a nest-builder because it is a parasite of other birds. The female will substitute her own egg with one from a clutch in a nest, which has been momentarily left by the parent birds. The cuckoo chick will emerge before the host's offspring, giving it the opportunity to expel the other eggs. The chick's feeding call is unusual. Scientists believe that this sound mimics that of a brood of chicks, fooling the foster parents that they are rearing a number of birds, rather than one oversized individual. The cuckoo is a summer visitor, arriving from Africa in early spring. It usually leaves in August. Destruction of suitable habitats, such as woodland and wetland areas, together with the influence of pesticides on its food supply has helped this elegant bird to become scarce. There are currently between 13,000 and 27,000 breeding pairs.

Find out more about this recording on the British Library Sounds website: http://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/British-wildlife-recordings/022M-W1CDR0001375-0300V0

Duration
00:04:37

Shelf mark
W1CDR0001375 BD3

Subjects
Birds

Recording date
1960s

Recording locations
OS Grid Reference(641500,323500)

Recordist
Shove, Lawrence

Species
Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus


Cuckoo song & calls, United Kingdom, 1960s

Description
Recording of the song of the cuckoo. The British summer would not be complete without the unmistakeable two-tone song of the male cuckoo. In flight this bird displays a long tail and pointed wings, resulting in it being often mistaken for a sparrowhawk. Its slender bill is ideal for eating insects, spiders, worms and centipedes. The adult male has grey upperparts and pale underparts, the latter being strongly barred. Females are similar although some individuals can appear brown.The cuckoo is not a nest-builder because it is a parasite of other birds. The female will substitute her own egg with one from a clutch in a nest, which has been momentarily left by the parent birds. The cuckoo chick will emerge before the host?s offspring, giving it the opportunity to expel the other eggs. The chick?s feeding call is unusual. Scientists believe that this sound mimics that of a brood of chicks, fooling the foster parents that they are rearing a number of birds, rather than one oversized individual. The cuckoo is a summer visitor, arriving from Africa in early spring. It usually leaves in August. Destruction of suitable habitats, such as woodland and wetland areas, together with the influence of pesticides on its food supply has helped this elegant bird to become scarce. There are currently between 13,000 to 27,000 breeding pairs.

Duration
00:00:41

Shelf mark
W1CDR0001375 BD4

Subjects
Birds

Recording date
1960s

Recording locations
OS Grid Reference(641500,323500)

Recordist
Shove, Lawrence

Species
Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus

Cuckoo song, United Kingdom, 1960s

Chant étonnant du Coucou gris enregistré le 14 mai 2022 à Arcon à l'arboretum des Grands Murcins près de roanne, à l'occasion du rassemblement Sonatura. 
Ce coucou alterne son traditionnel chant à deux notes avec parfois 3 notes ou 2 notes dont les hauteurs varient.
Enregistré avec un couple de Sennheiser MKH 8040 en ORTF et Zoom F6. 
Aucune coupure ni montage pour toute cette séquence. 
Enregistrement Olivier Pichard

Amazing song of the Grey Cuckoo recorded on 14 May 2022 in Arcon at the Grands Murcins arboretum near Roanne, during the Sonatura meeting. 
This cuckoo alternates its traditional two-note song with sometimes 3 notes or 2 notes whose pitches vary.
Recorded with a pair of Sennheiser MKH 8040 in ORTF and Zoom F6. 
Recorded by Olivier Pichard

Photo : cc by sa Vogelartinfo

Coucou gris à 3 notes arboretum des Grands Murcins à Arcon(42)

Käen soidinta toukokuisen illan hämärässä, taustalla punakylki- ja laulurastaita sekä punarinta. Nauhoituksessa käki lentää ohi ja jää hetkeksi kukkumaan läheiseen puuhun.

Lekking Cuckoo flying over the recording place at the evening in the May. At the background also Redwings, Song Thrushes and Robin.

Recorded 10.05.2014, Mikkeli - Finland

Käen soidinta (Osa 1) / Common Cuckoo Lekking (Part 1)

Käen soidinta, taustalla lehtokurppa, punarinta, punakylki- ja laulurastaat

Lekking Cuckoo, at the background also Woodcock, Redwing, Song Thrush and Robin

Recorded 10.05.2014, Mikkeli - Finland

Käen soidinta (osa 2) / Common Cuckoo Lekking (part 2)

Common Blackbird (Koltrast) singing and there is also a Common Cuckoo (Gök (Cuculus canorus)) in the background. Recorded at midnight on an island on the east coast of Sweden 20km north of Stockholm.

Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Cuculus canorus 1

Lapwing (Tofsvipa, Vanellus vanellus) is flying around an early morning. A Common Buzzard (Ormvråk, Buteo buteo) and a Common Cuckoo (Gök, Cuculus canorus) can also be heard among others.


Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) an early morning

180515 19:03 Cuckoo

Passionné par les sons en général mais avant tout par les sons de la nature. J'ai donc une affection particulière pour l'audionaturalisme mais je suis ouvert aussi au field recording plus largement. Création de podcasts notamment documentaires sonores

I’m capturing sounds in nature which hopefully makes you feel present and as part of nature.

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest libraries. We hold over 13 million books, 920,000 journal and newspaper titles, 57 million patents and 6 million sound recordings. Open to everyone, the Library offers events, temporary exhibitions and a Treasures Gallery that displays over 200 items, including Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible and lyrics by The Beatles.

An enthusiastic bird and nature photographer from Finland, now also recording natural sounds. My aim is to get soundscapes from nature, not only single birdsongs. I recommend you to use quality headphones or loudspeakers instead of built-in computer loudspeakers while you listen to my recordings.

Popular tracks tagged #cuculus canorus