CURIOUS LIFE OF THE CUCKOO (HB)

There is no bird more mysterious than the cuckoo. It is usually heard, not seen. When seen, it is usually mistaken for a hawk. The female cuckoo, by a trick bordering on alchemy, is able to disguise its egg as another's. But we forgive the cuckoo its con-artistry because it is the true herald of spring, uplifting our wintered hearts with its unmistakeable two-note call. John Lewis-Stempel explores one of nature's greatest enigmas and celebrates this iconic bird in vivid, lyrical prose.