Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo

Overview

The Philippine drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) is a bird of the cuckoo family found exclusively in the Philippines. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Square-tailed drongo-cuckoo but is now often separated based on differences in calls and juvenile plumage.

Identification

• 23 cm in length with glossy blue-black plumage, featuring a white bar on the underwing, white marks on the thigh feathers, and white on the underside of the tail.
• Slender, curved black bill and a fairly long, slightly forked tail.
• Young birds are duller than adults but lack the white spotting seen in juvenile Square-tailed drongo-cuckoos.
• Call consists of a repeated series of 8 or 9 ascending notes.

Habitat

Inhabits tropical moist lowland primary and secondary forests, as well as bamboo woodland up to 1,000 meters above sea level, where it typically occupies the canopy and middle storey. Its range is restricted to the Philippines, with subspecies found on Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Luzon, Panay, Negros, and the Sulu Archipelago.

Diet

Feeds on insects, foraging in the canopy and middle storey of lowland forest.

Did you know?

Nothing is known about the species' breeding habits, nest, or fledglings.