Surniculus musschenbroeki
The Moluccan Drongo-Cuckoo (*Surniculus musschenbroeki*) is a fascinating member of the cuckoo family, renowned for its remarkable mimicry of drongos. Measuring approximately 19-20 cm in length, this slender bird boasts a glossy black plumage, often exhibiting a subtle greenish or bluish sheen, strikingly similar to the Hair-crested Drongo. Key identification features include a deeply forked tail, often tipped with white on the outer feathers, and variable white barring on the flanks and unde...
Found in forest edges, secondary growth, and dense woodlands, typically near clearings. It inhabits both lowland areas and montane forests, up to elevations of around 1500 meters.
Feeds primarily on insects, including caterpillars, grasshoppers, and mantises, which it catches by sallying from a perch.
The Moluccan Drongo-Cuckoo is a secretive and often solitary bird, primarily active during daylight hours. Its foraging strategy involves sallying from a perch to snatch insects from foliage or in flight, returning to the same or a nearby perch. As a brood parasite, it does not build its own nest...
The Moluccan Drongo-Cuckoo is endemic to the Maluku Islands (Moluccas) of eastern Indonesia. Its distribution spans across several significant islands within this archipelago, including Halmahera, Morotai, Bacan, Obi, Buru, Seram, and Ambon. Within this range, it is considered a resident species,...
Least Concern
- The Moluccan Drongo-Cuckoo is a master of mimicry, not only visually resembling drongos but sometimes also mimicking their calls to avoid detection by host species. - Like other cuckoos in its genus, it is a brood parasite, meaning it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, primarily drongos...