But Eric Simms 'A History of British Birds describes how the hen cuckoo carefully prospects her territory for nests in which to lay an egg. Having chosen one, she first picks up one of the foster mother's eggs in her beak while she lays one of her own, then flies away and eats the stolen egg at her leisure.
但在《英國鳥類史》書中指出，杜鵑常小心翼翼的在其領土裡巡視可能寄子的目標，當它選中鳥巢，先叼起一個寄主所下的蛋，等自己產卵後，就銜著蛋飛得遠遠的，慢慢享用遭它雀屏中選的美食。