About the Oriental Cuckoo
The Oriental cuckoo or Horsfield's cuckoo is a bird belonging to the genus Cuculus in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Himalayan cuckoo, with the name 'Oriental cuckoo' used for the combined species. Differences in voice and size suggest that it should be treated as a separate species. The binomial name Cuculus horsfieldi has often been used instead of Cuculus optatus, but is now usually considered to be a junior synonym.
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It is 30–32 centimetres long with a wingspan of 51–57 centimetres and a weight of 73–156 grams. The adult male has a grey head, breast and upperparts. The belly is creamy-white with dark bars. The vent is frequently buff with few markings. The legs and feet are orange-yellow and there is a bare yellow ring around the eye. Adult females and juveniles occur in two morphs. The grey morph is similar to the male but has a brownish wash on the breast. The rufous morph is reddish-brown above, paler on the underparts and with strong dark bands all over including the rump. The common cuckoo (C.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Oriental Cuckoo lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, New Zealand, Finland, Northern Mariana Islands, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan.
When to see the Oriental Cuckoo
Peak activity in May · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Himalayan CuckooCuculus saturatusAdult male Himalayan cuckoos are dark ashy-grey above with a brown, almost black, tail that is whitely spotted and tipped.
Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalusThe lesser cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.
African CuckooCuculus gularisThis is a medium-sized species with a long tail, with a total length of 32 cm (13 in).
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