Cuckoo Clock

clocks · mechanical birds · Europe

Tells time with birds. A cuckoo clock is a special kind of clock that announces each hour by making a cuckoo sound and displaying a little wooden bird that pops out of a door.

Mechanical bird friend. The bird inside doesn't just make noise, it often moves its wings, opens and closes its beak, and leans forward as it sings, making it seem almost alive.

Powered by gravity. Most cuckoo clocks are pendulum clocks, which means they keep time using a swinging weight at the bottom, just like grandfather clocks do.

Ancient design. The clever mechanism that makes the cuckoo sound and moves the bird has been basically the same since the 1750s, and clockmakers still use it today.