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Concept

Eurasian cuckoo

A black and white spotted bird perches on a bare branch against a plain background, showcasing its distinctive plumage and eye color.

A brood-parasitic bird (Cuculus canorus) that lays its eggs in the nests of smaller songbirds and never raises its own young. Because adult cuckoos depart for sub-Saharan Africa weeks before the juveniles fledge, every young cuckoo must complete its first 8,000-kilometre migration alone, with no parental guide. The species is the cleanest natural proof that migratory routes can be inherited rather than learned.

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