Cuckoo
- Series : Animal Series
- Publisher : Reaktion Books
- Illustrations : 82 col illus, 14 b/w illus
Our customers have not yet submitted a review for this title - click here to be the first to write a review
Description:
An enlightening, entertaining look at that most peculiar bird, the cuckoo.
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.
You may also like...
Identification Atlas of the Continental Birds of Southwestern Europe
Blasco-Zumeta, J.; Heinze, G.-M.
Price £84.99
The Last of its Kind: The Search for the Great Auk and the Discovery of
Pálsson, G.
Price £16.50
(Save £5.50)
The East Atlantic Flyway of Coastal Birds: 50 Years of Exciting Moments in
Prokosch, P. (Ed.)
Price £27.99
