- Hierococcyx bocki
Alternative name: Bock's Hawk-cuckoo
Includes: Penan Hawk-cuckoo
Identification
38-40 cm.
- upperparts brown with narrow rufous bars
- crown, nape and neck ashy-grey
- tail barred brownish grey and black
- chin black
- throat white
- breast rufous, sometimes dark-streaked
- belly white with blackish bars
- eye-ring yellow
Juveniles have barred rufous and brown upperparts, a grey forehead, a white nape, a rufous and black barred tail and have buff underparts streaked with black teardrops.
Similar species
Large Hawk-Cuckoo is slightly larger, has a streaked throat and breast and no rufous bars on upperparts.
Distribution
Breeds in the mountains of Borneo, Sumatra and Malaysia.
Common to fairly common in its range, scarce in Sumatra.
Taxonomy
Formerly considered conspecific with Large Hawk-Cuckoo. The vocalisations of the population in Borneo are distinct implying this is a different taxon. Reference [3] suggests elevating this as "Penan Hawk-cuckoo".
Subspecies
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Found in deciduous and evergreen forests and open forest. On passage and in winter also in mangroves and gardens.
Occurs at 900-1600m in Sumatra and above 1000m in Borneo.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects, mainly caterpillars. Takes also berries.
Forages in the canopy, mainly solitary.
Breeding
A brood parasitic. Known host species are Laughingthrushes, Streaked Spiderhunter, Lesser Shortwing and Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush. Places one egg in hosts nest.
Movements
A resident species..
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334221
- Eaton, JA, B van Balen, NW Brickle, FE Rheindt 2021. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago (Greater Sundas and Wallacea), Second Edition. Lynx Editions. ISBN978-84-16728-44-2
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Dark Hawk-Cuckoo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Dark_Hawk-Cuckoo
