British English: cuckoo / ˈkʊkuː / NOUN A cuckoo is a grey bird which makes an easily recognizable sound consisting of two quick notes. a grey bird with a two-note call that sounds similar to its name. It looks a little bit like a small bird of prey when it flies. To the Cuckoo By William Wordsworth About this Poet William Wordsworth was one of the founders of English Romanticism and one its most central figures and important intellects. The common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus, (usually just called “cuckoo” in countries where it lives) is a spring migrant to Europe and northern Asia. Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds ' nests. A dove-sized bird with blue grey upper parts, head & chest with dark barred white under parts, not unlike kestrels or sparrowhawks in appearance. It winters in Africa and southern Asia. It is a greyish bird with a slender body, long tail and strong legs.