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Malaysian or Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo? Singapore (1 Viewer)

Avian Seeker

Well-known member
Need help to confirm whether this is a Malaysian or Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo.

Thanks in advance.
 

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Yes, you're right about the structure - I've been caught out with these before.

I think it's actually a good match for the subadult bird (the second one) on this page.

http://confoley.com/photo-guide-large-hawk-cuckoo/

The more extensive black bib is a good field mark - this is minimal on Hodgson's. As Con points out, what seals this as LHC is the lack of yellow on the upper mandible (compare with the Hodgson's on the other link).
 
Thanks for the inputs and the links - very informative.

I can see now that this should be an immature Large Hawk Cuckoo based on its lack of yellow near the base of its bill. Quite a useful feature as size is often hard to judge.
 
Hawk-cuckoo id

Hi all,
Avian seeker, interesting photos and well worth pursuing. Your bird has a yellow gape and lower mandible obscured by a lot of dusky pigment!
Large hawk-cuckoo in Hong Kong is near to a small sparrowhawk in size. Assumed resident forms in the Peninsula are virtually the same size and dimensions, in field terms, as Hodgson's or Moustached.
This does look like a boldly marked bocki but feel Andy may have been be more correct with his first assumption. The very pale, and marked larger scapulars, not the tertials on Hodgson's, seems a very facile id. mark to use in relation to these birds! I have however found this to be really reliable across all ages and plumages for Hodgson's. I do not have an up to date field guide with current arrangements but this bird may be described as vegans in some?
 
Bryon, just to point out that the name bocki is now assigned to Dark Hawk Cuckoo, the resident form in the Malay Peninsula, which doesn't occur in Singapore, and Large Hawk Cuckoo, which is a passage migrant and winter visitor to Singapore, is now sparveroides. I remember learning this the hard way earlier this year!

I made the initial mistake of a) limiting myself to the species suggested by the observer and b) focusing on plumage rather than structure. Once John pointed out the structure, it became pretty obvious.

Avian Seeker, are you a member of the Bird Sightings FB page?
 
They are juvenile and sub-adult Large Hawk Cuckoos. If they were shot recently at Fort Siloso, Sentosa, you should have also shot the adult Large Hawk Cuckoo there.

3 Large Hawk Cuckoo are congregating at that spot together with 2 Indian Cuckoos, 2 Asian Emerald Cuckoos and a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo.
 
Hi all,
can you give the full scientific name to these , See toh?
Also my reference to the pale scapulars was made particularly with regard to Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo. I really should have said inner tertial, partially overlapped by one of the larger scapular feathers.I think this is a more accurate description. These hawk-cuckoo have similar paler tertial feather but not as strong as in Hodgson's.
 
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Asian Emerald Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx maculatus
Large Hawk Cuckoo - Hierococcyx sparverioides
Indian Cuckoo - Cuculus micropterus
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo - Clamator coromandus
 
Thanks See Toh, There are some previous flight shots of cuckoo-hawk, of indeterminate size, from Singapore with darker throats and intense chestnut sides to the breast, are these considered to be sparverioides or bocki?
 
Thanks See Toh, There are some previous flight shots of cuckoo-hawk, of indeterminate size, from Singapore with darker throats and intense chestnut sides to the breast, are these considered to be sparverioides or bocki?

Singapore only has the migratory sparverioides which is now a considered monotypic.

As for brocki (Dark Hawk-Cuckoo), it is a common resident in the highlands of Peninsula Malaysia and there is no current evidence that it had occured in Singapore as a non-breeding visitor.

In addition, both fugax (Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo) and nisicolor (Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo) occur in Singapore. Strangely enough, only juvenile fugax is known to migrate to Singapore. As for nisicolor, we see mostly juveniles but adults do occur here as well but much rarer. Vagan (Moustached Hawk Cuckoo) is a uncommon resident of Peninsula Malaysia and is not known to occur in Singapore.

Images of the adult and juvenile sparverioides, adult and juvenile nisicolor and juvenile fugax taken in Singapore are attached
 

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SeeToh and viator, you're both members of the Bird Sightings FB page, right? Another member, Luce Sam, posted some images there which I was wrestling with. He's kindly given me permission to post them here. I'd be grateful if you or anyone else could give me an indication of whether or not I'm getting these right.

In the first image, the right-hand bird is clearly a Large Hawk Cuckoo. The left-hand bird is more difficult. Is it a juvenile Large Hawk Cuckoo? I think it's a case of the camera angle and possibly a foreshortening effect distorting the proportions, making the bird appear more compact than it really is. The bill is all-dark with no yellow base for a start. It would explain why I was having trouble matching it to either Hodgson's or Malaysian.

The second image is the same bird, I think.

The third image is LHC again, I believe (or is it?), but it's so dark. Is this within range? This could be the same bird as in See Toh's first image?
 

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Another pair of images. I think these both show Hodgson's? (I'm not sure if it's the same individual).
 

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Lastly, the first image clearly shows an Indian Cuckoo, but what is the bird in the second image - a juvenile Indian?
 

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Lastly, the first image clearly shows an Indian Cuckoo, but what is the bird in the second image - a juvenile Indian?

Indian don't have streaks on its throat.

The first image I have posted is an adult Large Hawk will the second is juvenile Large Hawk.

As for the two image of Indian Cuckoo you have attached, the second is a juvenile. Cannot confirm age of the second as most of its wings were blocked by the branch.
 
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SeeToh and viator, you're both members of the Bird Sightings FB page, right? Another member, Luce Sam, posted some images there which I was wrestling with. He's kindly given me permission to post them here. I'd be grateful if you or anyone else could give me an indication of whether or not I'm getting these right.

In the first image, the right-hand bird is clearly a Large Hawk Cuckoo. the left-hand bird is more difficult. Is it a juvenile Large Hawk Cuckoo? I think it's a case of the camera angle and possibly a foreshortening effect distorting the proportions, making the bird appear more compact than it really is. The bill is all-dark with no yellow base for a start. It would explain why I was having trouble matching it to either Hodgson's or Malaysian.

The second image is the same bird, I think.

The third image is LHC again, I believe (or is it?), but it's so dark. Is this within range? This could be the same bird as in See Toh's first image?

IMO, there are 3 Large Hawk Cuckoos in the attached photos: juvenile (very short but broad tail), sub-adult (resembles the juvenile but longer tail) and adult (distinct bars at lower breast and belly).
 
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