Common cuckoo birds can be real brutes, and lazy ones at that, but don't expect
them to be apologetic about it. To shirk the burdensome work of raising families, cunning
cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other species of unsuspecting birds. Those avian
parents, obviously a bit naive, usually don't recognize the differences between their own
eggs and those of the cuckoos. The baby cuckoos usually mature more quickly than their
adoptive parents' real offspring, which means they get all the food. They grow up to
continue the cycle of bird bullying, making life miserable for their avian neighbors.
How does the author use a fictional technique to convey information about cuckoo birds?
Attribution of human characteristics through personification is used to describe the behaviors of cuckoos.
Exaggeration is used to generate sympathy for the plight of avian neighbors of common cuckoo birds.
Description of the unusual nesting practice is provided from the point of view of the cuckoo mother.