Modern bird guides describe the cuckoo as having a body shaped like a pigeon's but longer and less plump, or like a small goshawk, with stripes across most of its chest, belly and tail.
今天的鳥類圖鑑形容杜鵑體型如鴿，但較細長，也有的像小型蒼鷹，大部份胸腹、尾巴有橫紋。