Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

Overview

The chestnut-winged cuckoo (Clamator coromandus) is a dark, crested cuckoo found in Southeast and South Asia. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Dark glossy upperparts with distinct chestnut wings.
• Black head with a long crest and a narrow white nuchal collar separating the head from the back.
• About 47 cm (19 in) long with a long graduated glossy black tail featuring inconspicuous white terminal edges.
• Rufous throat turning to a dark grey underside, with fluty twin-note calls repeated at short intervals.

Habitat

The species ranges from the western and eastern Himalayas across Southeast Asia, including parts of Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. It breeds along the Himalayas and migrates south to Sri Lanka, southern India, and tropical Southeast Asia, with some populations being non-migratory.

Did you know?

As a brood parasite, it lays its very spherical eggs mainly in the nests of Garrulax laughingthrushes. During migration in India, exhausted individuals are often discovered in the vicinity of homes as they move along the Eastern Ghats.