In these elections, the main criterion is the situation of a particular animal or bird, that is, they or their habitat usually need more attention. This year the animal of the year was the otter, the bird of the year was the cuckoo.
Exploitative by nature
“The cuckoo is a very well-known bird here,” he says Janus Hello by the Estonian Ornithological Society. “Of course everyone has heard of a cuckoo, but who among us has seen a cuckoo? Probably very few. Not much is known about the biology, private life, migration routes and everything that goes with it,” says the ornithologist , who never studied specifically in Estonia.
“The cuckoo is extremely difficult to study,” Aua explains, because the cuckoo has not attracted the attention of ornithologists. “If you go back in time, the cuckoo has fascinated thousands of naturalists. Hundreds of theories about Kåo’s life have been created, but they are all unclear or even wrong.”
The ornithologist explains that the cuckoo is a nest parasite and uses up to 300 species of minions in whose nests it lays its eggs. It does not have a territory centered on the nest. Studying the bird has become easier in recent decades thanks to cheaper DNA tests and modern radio and GPS transmitters.
“The flagship of cuckoo research is currently England, but thanks to the selection as bird of the year, Estonia should become the second flagship,” hopes the ornithologist and adds that in spring some cuckoos they will receive GPS transmitters, which will provide information on the birds’ activities during the breeding season, migratory routes and wintering areas. You can read about the adventures of stocked cuckoos starting in May on the Bird of the Year blog.
“Käol is doing worse than mediocre in Estonia,” assesses Aua. “Cuckoo numbers are around 100,000 and declining. It is possible that the number of dependent species will decrease. It is known that the number of forest birds is continuously decreasing, and there are fewer and fewer options for the cuckoo. Secondly, due to climate warming, its dependent species start nesting earlier, and since the cuckoo travels long distances, it will not arrive in time.”
Bird of the year – cuckoo (according to the author of the portrait Arne Ader, the cuckoo has a lightning-shaped caterpillar in its beak). Photo: Arne Ader
2024-01-13 10:42:53
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