The rufous-throated bronze cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly placed in the genus Chrysococcyx. It is found in the highlands of New Guinea where its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.
Region
New Guinea Highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs in tropical moist montane and cloud forests, typically along forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth where insect prey is abundant. It frequents mid-storey to canopy levels, often perching quietly and making short sallies to capture prey. The species tolerates lightly disturbed habitats and can appear near highland gardens and forest fragments. Its range spans the central mountainous spine of New Guinea.
Altitude Range
1200–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small bronze-cuckoo of the New Guinea highlands, it shows a distinctive rufous throat against otherwise barred underparts and metallic green upperparts. Like many cuckoos, it is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of small passerines and leaving the hosts to raise its young. It is unobtrusive and often detected by its high, repetitive whistles more than by sight.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with swift, direct dashes between perches
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs during the breeding season. It does not build its own nest; females lay eggs in the nests of small songbirds, and the chicks are raised by the hosts. Courtship involves quiet perch displays and calling, with most activity occurring within dense foliage.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives high-pitched, thin whistles delivered in short series, often repeated at regular intervals. Calls carry through montane forest but are soft enough that the bird can be difficult to locate.
Plumage
Glossy metallic green to bronze upperparts with a contrasting rufous throat and finely barred whitish underparts. Tail is dark with pale tips and subtle barring. Feathers appear neat and compact, with a smooth sheen on the mantle and wings.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects, especially caterpillars, beetles, and other soft-bodied arthropods. It often targets hairy larvae that many other birds avoid. Prey is picked from foliage or caught during short sallies from a perch. It occasionally takes small spiders and other invertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Forages along edges of montane forest, in mid-storey and canopy, and around gaps or secondary growth where sunlight concentrates insect activity. Will also work along mossy branches and epiphyte-laden limbs in cloud forest.
