Challenged cuckoo

A cuckoo is a shy bird; you hear it often, but you don't see it. Maybe from afar, when it's perched on the top of a tree. This (male) cuckoo was showing itself because there was another cuckoo in its territory. The bird felt challenged and showed itself to call out the trespasser. That was a nice opportunity for me to make a photo, luckily with a nice summer foliage background. Your comments are very welcome.

Nice capture, Vincent! Never saw a cuckoo before and didn't imagine it's so beautiful! Thank you, my friend! PDE

Luck helps good photographers who know how to take advantage of rare opportunities. I've always heard them too but I've never been able to photograph them, ciao Giangiorgio

Hi Pierre,

 

it's a beautiful bird indeed! With its 'striped shirt' and striking tailfeathers it's a unique appearance in the avian world, regardless of its behaviour in getting its children raised, which is often looked upon as abuse. Thanks for your friendly comment. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Giangiorgio,

 

you are so right! I knew right away this moment was special, since you never see cuckoos out in the open. I was very lucky to capture this one and wish that I had made some more photos, but the bird flew away seconds after this shot. Thanks for your friendly comment. Kind regards, Vincent

Same here. You hear him often, but you don't see him. Very nice picture. Best regards, Franz

Another way of stating Giangiorgio's first sentence is, "Fortune favors the bold.," You certainly were in the right place and at the right time. To me, what prevents this image from being just another pretty bird shot is how it displays the bird's tail feathers presenting an aggressive posture. Clearly, your camera settings, Vincent, enabled us to see a great deal of sharpness in the bird and its perch. Aside from the bird's own palette of color, the entire scene presents the rest of the scene as containing lush colors. - - My best always, michael

Hi Franz,

 

thank you very much for your friendly comment on this picture! Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Michael,

 

you are absolutely right; I was in the right place at the right time. Hanging around this spot helps of course. I just made use of the fact that cuckoos are obviously extremely territorial. The background is purely getting lucky as a photographer. Thank you for your detailed comment! Kind regards, Vincent

Beautiful shot, Vincent! I have not seen cuckoos so good in nature. Bravo! Sincerely, Tatiana P.S. Sorry for the late comment.

Hi Tatiana,

 

I am glad you want to comment on my photo, even when it's not on 'trending' anymore! Thank you for your comment, cuckoos can seldom be seen, but this situation gave me ample opportunity to photograph a cuckoo. Kind regards, Vincent

Fantastic pose and position of the tail feathers, Vincent. I like the crop because it enhances the open feeling while emphasizing the bird and the branch. Excellent colors, light and presentation. Wonderful capture of a great looking bird. Best regards, Paul.

Hi Paul,

 

thank you for your great comments! The cuckoo only showed itself because he has to deal with an intruder; that was just my luck , as it gave me the opportunity to photograph the bird against the OoF green background. Kind regards, Vincent