The wryneck was known as the cuckoo’s mate, because its odd call was heard just before, or at the same time as, the first cuckoo in late April. Forster recorded the name on the day the two birds usually arrived.
The wryneck, the cuckoo’s mate
21 April · England
Lore and belief
About the same time, or rather sooner, is heard the peculiar voice of the Wryneck, hence styled the Cuckoo's mate.
From Forster's Perennial Calendar, p. 182. Read the original
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