The common cuckoo is a peculiar bird – one that has lent its name to the otherworldly ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land’ in Aristophanes’ play The Birds, and lent its two-note song to the classic cuckoo clock. Even while the cuckoo has long symbolized exuberance or foolishness, at the same time, the bird is recognized as our most reliable harbinger of springtime. But that’s not all the cuckoo stands for.

Females of some cuckoo species are brood parasites, known for depositing their eggs in the nests of other birds. This curious behaviour that has inspired many a myth and metaphor, and given us the figure of the ‘cuckold’, who appears in literature from Shakespeare’s plays to science-fiction thrillers. This enlightening, entertaining book explores the natural history of the cuckoo, its cultural meanings and the stories we tell about these fascinating birds.