Zanclostomus javanicus
The Red-billed Malkoha (Zanclostomus javanicus) is a striking, medium-sized cuckoo native to Southeast Asia, characterized by its remarkably bright, decurved red bill. Measuring approximately 42 cm (16.5 in) in length, adults exhibit glossy dark blue-green to black upperparts, a rufous lower breast and belly, and a long, graduated tail with white tips on the undertail feathers, providing distinctive field marks. Taxonomically, it belongs to the Cuculidae family, a group of cuckoos, but unique...
This species primarily inhabits dense primary and secondary evergreen and deciduous forests, often found in the undergrowth or at forest edges, as well as in plantations. It typically occurs in lowlands and foothills, generally up to an elevation of 1000 meters.
Its diet primarily consists of large insects such as caterpillars, mantises, and stick insects, supplemented with small vertebrates like lizards and frogs, and occasionally some fruit. It forages by actively gleaning prey from leaves, branches, and bark.
The Red-billed Malkoha is a secretive and arboreal bird, spending most of its time gleaning insects from dense foliage and tree bark, often moving through vegetation with a quiet, skulking gait. Active during daylight hours, it roosts in dense cover at night, either solitarily or in pairs. It exh...
The Red-billed Malkoha is native to Southeast Asia, with a distribution encompassing the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Its range extends across several countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei. Two recognized subspecies exist: *Zanclostomus javanicus javanicus...
Least Concern
- Unlike many of its cuckoo relatives, the Red-billed Malkoha is a non-brood parasitic species, meaning it builds its own nest and raises its own young. - Its strikingly bright red, strongly decurved bill is a specialized tool for extracting insects from dense foliage and crevices. - The name 'Ma...