Plaintive Cuckoo

Overview

The plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) is a small bird in the cuckoo family native to Asia, ranging from India and Nepal to Indonesia. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Measures 21–24 cm in length with a black bill (upper mandible) and yellow bill (lower mandible) and yellow legs.
• Adult males feature grey-brown upperparts, an orange belly, and a grey head and upper breast, with white-tipped tail feathers.
• Adult females may resemble males or appear in a reddish-brown 'hepatic' morph with dark bars on the upperparts and tail.
• Produces plaintive whistling calls, including ascending three-note phrases and series of 11 or 12 descending notes.

Habitat

Found across Asia, including India, Nepal, China, and Indonesia, with four recognized subspecies. It inhabits diverse environments such as forest edges, open woodland, scrub, grassland, farmland, parks, and gardens.

Diet

Feeds primarily on invertebrates. It is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of cisticolas, prinias, and tailorbirds.

Did you know?

This bird is a brood parasite whose eggs mimic those of host species but are slightly larger, often prompting small birds to mob the cuckoo to drive it away from their nests.