The large hawk-cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide breeding distribution from temperate Asia along the Himalayas extending to East Asia. Many populations winter further south. They are known for their loud and repetitive calls which are similar to that of the common hawk-cuckoo but do not rise in crescendo. They are also somewhat larger and adults can be readily told apart from the smaller common hawk-cuckoo by the black patch on the chin. They are brood-parasites of babblers and laughing-thrushes.
Region
South and East Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds along the Himalayan foothills and montane belts from northern India and Nepal through Bhutan and Myanmar into southern and eastern China and Taiwan. Many populations move south in winter to peninsular India and parts of mainland Southeast Asia. It frequents hill and montane broadleaf and mixed forests, forest edges, secondary growth, plantations, and wooded ravines. Often occurs near clearings and along ridges where calls carry widely.
Altitude Range
200–2800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This hawk-like cuckoo is famed for its loud, repetitive whistles that do not build to a crescendo, unlike the common hawk-cuckoo. Adults show a distinctive black chin patch that helps separate them from similar species. Like other hawk-cuckoos, it mimics the appearance and flight of Accipiters, which may reduce mobbing. It is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of babblers and laughingthrushes.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
swift, direct flight with short glides; hawk-like
Social Behavior
Typically solitary outside the breeding season and often inconspicuous except when calling. A brood parasite, the female lays in nests of babblers and laughingthrushes, leaving host species to rear the chick. Males call persistently from exposed perches during the breeding period.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A loud, repetitive series of clear whistles that remain at a steady pitch, often rendered as kuk-kuk-kuk with pauses between bouts. Calls carry far across valleys and are most frequent at dawn and dusk.
