From Opus

Photo by rsriram9
Male
Location Nandi Hills, Bangalore, Southern India

Cacomantis passerinus

[edit] Identification

Generally a small cuckoo with a long tail and a rather thin curved bill.
Male

• Dark grey with blackish wings and tail
• White vent (sometimes also belly)
• White bars and spots on undertail

Hepatic Female

• Bright rufous above with some black chevrons on wings and mantle
• Rufous tail with no markings
• White below with fine black bars
• No supercilium (see Banded Bay Cuckoo)

Juveniles

• Duller than adults
• Undertail with black and pale bars

Non-hepatic females are rare. They are duller than males and browner.

Photo by James Williams
Female
Location Bangalore, Southern India

[edit] Distribution

From the Himalayas of N Pakistan and N India to Nepal, Bhutan and maybe Assam. Also south through peninsular India.

Winters in Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Partially migratory. Himalayan birds move south, Indian birds are probably resident. Arrives in Sri Lanka in October and leaves again in April.

[edit] Taxonomy

Sometimes considered conspecific with Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus. The song of both species is very similar, juveniles look the same and their host species are the same too. The split bases on reported sympatry in NE India. Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Open woodland, secondary forest, scrubland, parkland, gardens, agricultural areas, towns and villages, also subtropical pine forest. Common in most of its range.

[edit] Behaviour

Sings from treetops, frequently changing position and tree. Sings at night and in dim weather at day. Silent in winter.

[edit] Breeding

Breeds from June to September. Like many other cuckoos this species is a brood-parasitic. Host species are Prinias (e.g. Ashy Prinia), Cisticolas (e.g. Zitting Cisticola) and Common Tailorbird. Evicts host's eggs.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages