Cuckoo birds live in a wide range of habitats across the world, except Antarctica. They are primarily found in areas with trees, including deciduous and coniferous forests, woodlands, meadows, scrubs, moorlands, lowlands, and wooded steppes
. Most species favor tropical evergreen rainforests, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, and temperate forests in the Northern Hemisphere. Many cuckoos migrate seasonally between these forest types, breeding in one and wintering in the other
. Some cuckoo species also inhabit arid deserts, scrubby lands, and open environments such as grasslands and reed beds
. For example:
- The Common (Eurasian) Cuckoo breeds in Europe and Asia in forests, open heathlands, farmlands with hedges, and marshes with scattered bushes, and winters in Sub-Saharan Africa
- The Black-billed Cuckoo breeds in northern US and southern Canada in deciduous and coniferous forests and winters in southeastern US and eastern Mexico
- The Greater Roadrunner lives year-round in scrubby lands of the southwestern US and northern Mexico
- The Yellow-billed Cuckoo nests in woodlands with dense cover and water nearby, including riparian woodlands, abandoned farmland, and dense thickets in the US
In the UK, cuckoos are summer visitors found in woodland edges, reed beds, and moorlands
. In summary, cuckoo birds inhabit diverse environments worldwide, mainly forests and woodlands, but also deserts, grasslands, and wetlands depending on the species and region
