Coracina atriceps
The Moluccan Cuckooshrike (Coracina atriceps) is a striking member of the Campephagidae family, characterized by its sleek, dark plumage and piercing red eye. Adults typically measure 24-27 cm in length, presenting a slender body with a long tail. Males are particularly distinctive, featuring a velvety black head, face, throat, and nape that sharply contrasts with their dark slate-grey upperparts and slightly paler grey underparts. Females closely resemble males, though sometimes exhibiting a...
Found primarily in tropical and subtropical moist lowland broadleaf forests, extending into lower montane forests. It also frequents forest edges and secondary growth areas up to an elevation of approximately 1,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects including caterpillars, beetles, mantises, grasshoppers, and cicadas, along with spiders. Occasionally supplements its diet with small fruits and even small lizards.
Typically observed singly or in pairs, the Moluccan Cuckooshrike is a diurnal and active arboreal insectivore. It forages methodically, gleaning insects such as caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers from foliage and branches within the canopy and mid-story levels of the forest. Occasionally, it...
The Moluccan Cuckooshrike is strictly endemic to the Moluccas (Maluku Islands) archipelago in eastern Indonesia. Its distribution is fragmented across several islands, primarily encompassing Buru, Seram, Ambon, Saparua, and Haruku. The nominate subspecies, *Coracina atriceps atriceps*, is confine...
Least Concern
- Despite its name, the Moluccan Cuckooshrike is not closely related to true cuckoos (Cuculidae) or shrikes (Laniidae), but rather belongs to the Campephagidae family, known as cuckooshrikes and minivets. - Its striking red eye is a prominent field mark, contrasting sharply with its otherwise dar...