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Cuckoo — Broodwing Bird Guide

Broodwing Wiki editors Verified

The cuckoo is Broodwing's signature brood parasite — it hatches into another bird's nest, watched by the unknowing host mother, and its chick shuns its foster siblings just like the real bird it is named after.

Role Brood parasite
Cost to play Free
Data certainty Multi-source
01

Mechanics

  • Hatches into another bird's nest

    Multi-source

    Cuckoos are born into a different bird's nest with the host mother watching closely, two players report consistently in launch coverage comments.

  • Evicts its foster siblings

    Observed

    Because the cuckoo chick is a different species from its nest mates, it uses its rear to shove the host's own eggs or chicks out of the nest — mirroring real cuckoo brood parasitism and giving the game its name.

FAQ

What does the cuckoo do in Broodwing?

The cuckoo is a brood parasite. It hatches into another bird's nest, and its chick shoves the host's eggs or chicks out of the nest, just like real cuckoos.

Why is the game called Broodwing?

The name references brood parasitism — the cuckoo's strategy of laying eggs in other birds' nests, which the game recreates as a playable mechanic.

Other Broodwing birds

Bald Eagle Canadian Goose Duck Gosling Raven

New to the game? The beginner guide covers the full loop — flying, the Q landing trick, hunting, nesting and raising chicks.

Sources