Clamator coromandus
The Chestnut-winged Cuckoo (Clamator coromandus) is a striking medium-sized cuckoo, typically measuring 32-34 cm in length. Its most distinguishing features include a prominent, pointed black crest and a rich chestnut plumage on its wings and upper back. The head, nape, and long, graduated tail are glossy black, often with a subtle bluish or greenish sheen, contrasting sharply with a clear white patch on the hindneck that extends to the sides of the neck. The underparts are predominantly whit...
Primarily found in a variety of wooded habitats, including deciduous and evergreen forests, forest edges, secondary growth, plantations, and dense scrubland. It typically occurs in lowlands and foothills, up to elevations of about 1,600 meters.
Feeds predominantly on large insects, with a particular preference for hairy caterpillars, which many other birds avoid due to their irritating hairs. It also consumes other insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and sometimes small fruits.
The Chestnut-winged Cuckoo is a largely arboreal and secretive bird, usually observed singly or in pairs, moving stealthily through dense foliage during the day. As an obligate brood parasite, it does not build its own nest but lays its eggs in the nests of other passerine species, primarily vari...
The Chestnut-winged Cuckoo has a wide distribution across the Oriental biogeographic realm. Its primary breeding range extends from the lower Himalayas in northern India (from Uttarakhand eastward), Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, eastward through much of Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Thailand...
Least Concern
- This cuckoo is an obligate brood parasite, meaning it never builds its own nest and relies entirely on other bird species to raise its young. - Its preferred host species are often various babblers, such as Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striata) and Yellow-billed Babbler (Turdoides affinis), which ...