Common or oriental cuckoo? Mughsayl, Oman (1 Viewer)

Cyclone chapala may have brought more east Asian birds to western Oman.

There is not much evidence yet. However, a birding friend and I had just twitched the 3rd recorded dusky warbler to this country. Then we saw a cuckoo a few metres way.

It appears to have a plain but rusty-buff vent. Its upper parts are relatively dark and blue-grey. I understand these are pointers towards oriental. Admittedly its chest barring is not sparse and broad as would be ideal for oriental. However I understand that feature has much overlap between the two species.

What about bill strength? What is meant by stronger billed.

Is it even possible to know if it is oriental or the (usual) common?

All help gratefully received as ever.

Rob

I ve been trying to watch Oriental Cuckoo last summer but I could only get distant birds; fly by's or hiding but calling individuals so my own experience isn't that much.
However, I ve been interested in these matter and wouldn't have wanted to miss these nice pictures.

To me, the barring to the underbody being rather fine isn't very good for Oriental and the same applies to the undertailcoverts.
That's it for me and I hope some more comments may accentuate some other, harder to get features. Bill strength? What about it..

Thanks for you comments. The Collins guide says that oriental cuckoo has a proportionately slightly heavier bill.

Rob

Cuckoo Oman?

Hi Birding Rob,
I have enjoyed looking at your cuckoo photos in the past.
This is a common cuckoo as Gerdwichers8 implies.
As a general rule of thumb, but not a truly viable field mark, most of the oriental grouping, do have heavily barred under-tail coverts.
Even the underwing pattern/bill shape/colour is difficult to determine in the field.
Fortunately, I have vocals to go with most of my own.
Lesser Cuckoo, with a unique migration trajectory, is even more of a possibility in Oman than oriental?

Thanks to you both. I am learning with every one of these discussions on cuckoos.

I am comfortable that it is a common cuckoo.

Rob