When can you hear the cuckoo in Ireland?

April
Irish tradition has it that the last two weeks of April and early days of May often bring a short snap of unseasonably cold weather, and since this is the period during which the cuckoo is heard for the first time, our forefathers called such a cold snap Scairbhin na gCuach.

What is cuckoo known for?

This is the famous bird of Europe whose voice is imitated by cuckoo clocks (and whose call, coo-coo, gave the name to the entire cuckoo family). It is well known as a brood parasite: females lay their eggs in the nests of smaller birds, and their hapless ‘hosts’ raise only young cuckoos.

Where does the cuckoo sing How does the islanders react to her song?

The cuckoo sings in the wild islands of the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland, and the traveler on the islands reacts to the break in the silence by the “melancholy strain” of the maiden.

Do female cuckoos call?

The female has a rich bubbling chuckle, but the male’s call is the very familiar “cuckoo”.

Is the cuckoo in Ireland?

Cuckoos have been declining in Ireland, and they are less common now than they were a few decades ago. Between 3,000 and 6,000 pairs visit Ireland each year, usually is the second half of April, the earliest arrival being April 2. The cuckoo eats insects, mostly caterpillars and beetles.

Where is the cuckoo singing?

The cuckoo sings in the wild islands of the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland, and the traveler on the islands reacts to the break in the silence by the “melancholy strain” of the maiden. In another of Wordsworth’s poems, the cuckoo symbolizes innocence and childhood.

What effect does the song of the cuckoo have on the inhabitants of the Hebrides?

Similarly the cuckoo – bird’s song announces the onset of spring in the Hebrides island and this singing is so pleasant that it breaks the silence of the gloomy winter – the maiden’s singing has the same effect on the poet.

Does Cuckoo mean crazy?

Figurative use of cuckoo, which exists as an adjective meaning “crazy” or “weak in intellect or common sense,” and as a noun for a person who can be described as such, may be an allusion to the bird’s eponymous (and monotonous) call.