Cuckoo Birds: cuckoos do not raise their own young, instead laying eggs in the nests of other birds, which raise their babies for them. They foster them out. They are clever birds in that they spare the rearing and feeding of their own offspring. We’ve all heard the story.
A cuckoo can dart into an unattended nest, snatch up an egg, lay a close copy, and be gone within 10 seconds.
After hatching, some cuckoo chicks (though not all) instinctively shove their foster siblings and remaining eggs out of the nest, so as to have all the food to themselves.
Lazy Cuckoo
The Cuckoo bird is not like the rest
She lays her eggs in another birds nest
In the blink of an eye
as she passes by
She doesn’t sneak in
She barges right in
Mrs. Robin doesn’t notice or just doesn’t care
She’s the humble kind bird she’s willing to share
The cuckoo bird hatches long before the others
He’s a selfish bird he won’t share his new mother
Slyly he rolls the blue eggs over the edge
Using his legs as a useful wedge
Still in their shells they can’t defend
That’s how they meet their untimely end
Mrs. Robin continues to feed this chick
Even after all of the cuckoo’s dirty tricks
There’s a lesson to be learned and it affects you
Don’t let your family be tricked by a lazy cuckoo
