Unlike windup cuckoo clocks, which require rewinding every one, two or eight days before, quartz cuckoo clocks use a more modern timing mechanism, drawing power from batteries and running continuously until the batteries run dry. Battery cuckoo clocks run for approximately one year on a new set of batteries give or take a little, depending on the type of battery used and the amount of animated movement built into the clock. Obviously, moving one small bird in and out of its little house once an hour is going to take a lot less battery power than moving a small group of animated characters in a moving scene out of their housing, around to the front of the clock, sounding the cuckoo noise, playing the accompanying music, and moving them all back inside again as often as every half hour, as is the case with some ornate clocks.

All battery-operated clocks are fitted with a manual volume control for the sounds and a shut off switch to conserve battery power. On many battery operated clocks, a photo cell acts as a shut-off switch, turning off the sounds - and music if any - automatically each night. Another major difference in these battery operated quartz cuckoo clocks is that instead of merely mimicking the sound of the cuckoo bird, they play an actual recording of a real cuckoo bird with the possible addition of other woodsy or jungle sounds, such as running water, or anything else the creator of the piece may desire.

At the appropriate times, the doors open, the bird emerges from his house, any other animated characters swing into action, the cuckoo issues its call, flaps its wings, the music is played and then the whole thing shuts off and the characters return to their resting places awaiting their next call to action. Battery powered cuckoo clocks allow for far more activity than the old fashioned mechanical cuckoo clocks were capable of, and whether you prefer the simplicity of the earlier works to the battery powered ones remains a matter of personal choice.