Himalayan Cuckoo

Cuculus saturatus

Least ConcernRareInvertebratesForestMedium · 87 g

About the Himalayan Cuckoo

The Himalayan cuckoo or Oriental cuckoo is a brooding parasitic bird that is part of the Cuculidae family. The species breeds from the Himalayas eastward to southern China and Taiwan. It migrates to southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands for the winter.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

Adult male Himalayan cuckoos are dark ashy-grey above with a brown, almost black, tail that is whitely spotted and tipped. Legs and feet range between yellow and orange. The area from their chins to the breast is ash-grey, with their lower breast and abdomen being white with black bars, and a white to milky orange vent with varying bars. The eye-ring is yellow with yellow to brown irises—darker orange has been seen in males. Bills are black with an orange-yellow or green-yellow base. Their size approximately 30–35 cm and 70–140 g. Voice: Males are notably recorded more during dawn and dusk from high lookouts or in flight. Their call includes a high note followed by three lower flat notes, similar to "hoop, hoop-hoop" or "tun-tadun", much like that of a Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) but lower-pitched and more muffled. The males also produce hoarse croaking sounds and chuckles, even a harsh "gaak-gaak-gak-ak-ak-ak" at times.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Philippines, Indonesia.

When to see it

Peak activity in April · a passage migrant species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Himalayan Cuckoo for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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