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English

Abstract

The Great Spotted Cuckoo is primarily known as a specialist predator of lepidopteran larvae, particularly the urticating caterpillars of the Pine Processionary Moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa. This report documents a novel observation of a single Great Spotted Cuckoo individual foraging extensively on larvae of the moth Ocnogyna boeticum in a dehesa ecosystem. Over a ten-hour observation period, the cuckoo completed six distinct foraging sessions, consuming a minimum of 768 caterpillars. The bird demonstrated a clear ability to locate and exploit dense aggregations of the larvae, showing marked plasticity in its foraging behaviour.