PLAINTIVE CUCKOO

Photographed at Arey Ksat, Cambodia, November 2023

 1323                  PLAINTIVE CUCKOO                  Cacomantis merulinus

CAMBODIA                  18

Lives in secondary growths, open woodland, scrub, grassland, cultivated areas, parks and gardens. Resident NE India, Bangladesh, SE Tibet, Southern China, Greater Sundas, Philippines, Sulawesi; common resident throughout SE Asia.

HODGSON'S HAWK-CUCKOO

Photographed on West Island, Cocos, December 2018

1265                   HODGSON'S HAWK-CUCKOO                Hierococcyx nisicolor

AUSTRALIA                  762

Also known as Whistling Hawk-cuckoo. Found in n-e India, Myanmar, southern China and s-e Asia. Brood parasite. 

CHESTNUT-WINGED CUCKOO

Photographed on Home Island, Cocos, December 2018

1263                 CHESTNUT-WINGED CUCKOO                  Clamator coromandus

AUSTRALIA                      760

Also known as Red-winged Crested Cuckoo. Found in southeastern Asia and parts of South Asia. Breed in Himalayas and migrate south in winter to Sri Lanka, southern India and tropical Southeast Asia including parts of Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. 

NOTE: First record in Australia, and only photographs in Australia.

ORIENTAL CUCKOO

Photographed at Darwin Botanical Gardens, October 2018

1260                   ORIENTAL CUCKOO                Cuculus opatus 

AUSTRALIAN                    757

Large cuckoo. Often solitary. Shy, elusive. Migratory: from Eurasia as far south as Indonesia, NG, northern Australia; some over-winter in Australia. Uncommon. Inhabits rainforests, monsoon forests, vine scrub, riverine thickets, wetter, densely canopied eucalyptus forest, paperbark swamps, mangroves.

GOULD'S BRONZE-CUCKOO

Photographed on Saibai, Torres Straits, March 2018

1247                   GOULD'S BRONZE CUCKOO                Chrysococcyx minutillus russatus

AUSTRALIA                   742

Found in north-eastern Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea. Taxonomic distinctiveness is uncertain and often lumped with the Little Bronze Cuckoo. Habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

COMMON HAWK CUCKOO

1117                    COMMON HAWK CUCKOO                  Hierocroccyx varius

SRI LANKA                       144

Found in well wooded areas. 34 cm. Rather uncommon breeding resident (race ciceliae) from the foothills to high hills, rarer in the foothills areas. Migrant nominate race varius rarely recorded in the lowlands.

BANDED BAY CUCKOO

Subspecies waiti, March 2017

1081                BANDED BAY CUCKOO             Cacomantis sonneratii

SRI LANKA            86

Found in forests, forest edges and open forest. 24 cm. Fairly uncommon breeding resident from lowlands to mid hills, more in dry lowlands.

GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO

Photographed March 2017

1063                    GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO                       Cacomantis passerinus   

SRI LANKA                  438

found in open forest, gardens and scrub. 23 cm. Rather uncommon migrant, to lowlands to mid hills, rarer in wet lowlands and hills.

DRONGO CUCKOO

(see   862)           DRONGO CUCKOO      Surniculus lugubris

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)              666

Found in broad-leafed evergreen and deciduous forest, secondary growth, occasionally parks, gardens, mangroves. 24.5 cm. Breeds N, NE Indian subcontinent, S India, Sri Lanka, SE Tibet, W and southern China, Greater Sundas, Philippines, Sulawesi, N Moluccas; northern population winter to south, Sumatra.

Note: first Australian record.

SQUARE-TAILED DRONGO-CUCKOO

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see   862)              ASIAN DRONGO-CUCKOO                   Surniculus lugubris

SINGAPORE               (62)

Uncommon resident and migrant; residents found in primary and secondary forests; migrants found in forests,old plantations, scrubs and parkland. 25 cm. Distribution: NE India, mainland Southeast Asia, Thai-Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas, Palawan.

INDIAN CUCKOO

Photographed in Singapore (Pasir Ris Park) November 2016

912                 INDIAN CUCKOO              Cuculus micropterus

SINGAPORE (Pasir Ris Park)              (59)

Found in primary and secondary forest forest edge, old plantation and scrub in parkland, especially during passage. 33 cm. Distribution: Indian sub-continent and across East Asia as far north as Russian Far East; also across Greater Sundas and Philippines; northern populations are migratory, wintering in Southeast Asia, parts of India.

ASIAN DRONGO-CUCKOO

Photographed in north-west Bali October 2016

(862)              ASIAN DRONGO-CUCKOO                   Surniculus lugubris  

INDONESIA (Bali)         (83)        

Found in lowland forest, rainforest and along forest edges; occasionally disperse into scrub. 25 cm. Distribution: Oriental region; part migratory; an uncommon resident and winter visitor throughout the Sundra subregion;can be locally common on Sulawesi.

BRUSH CUCKOO

The only photograph I could get, taken at Cattana Wetlands, Cains, Queensland October 2015

715         BRUSH CUCKOO             Cacomantis variolosus

Australia         (557)

Found in rainforests, forests, woodlands, mangroves, scrubby roadsides. 22-26 cm. Range: coastal n. and e. Aust., regular breeding migrant to se. Aust., mostly in forests of Dividing Ra. in se. Q, NSW and e. Vic., arriving Sept.-Oct., departing Feb.-April; casual nw. Vic mallee, adjacent SA. In n. Aust. both resident and passage migrant. Common in n., uncommon in s. Aust.

CHESTNUT-BREASTED CUCKOO

Photographed at Rainforest camping area, Iron Range, Queensland October 2015

710             CHESTNUT-BREASTED CUCKOO             Cacomantis castaneiventris

Australia        (552)

23-25 cm. Found in rainforest, monsoon forest, scrub on watercourses, mangroves. Range: e. Cape York Pen. (Q), from Cape York s. to Bloomfield R. (Cooktown-Mosman), inland to McIlwaith Ra. Uncommon, sedentary, possibly part-migrant to PNG where it is also resident.

LITTLE BRONZE-CUCKOO

Photographed at Coen, Queensland October 2015

687     LITTLE BRONZE CUCKOO         Chrysococcyx minutillus

Australia    (529)

Found in drier, open forests and woodlands; monsoon forest, paperbarks, gardens. 14-15 cm. Range: nominate race: Kimberley (WA)-Top End (NT). Race: bernardi: from c. Byfield (Q) to c. Kempsey (NSW), inland to Tenterfield. Some migrate in autumn to Cape York Pen.