The Sunda brush cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was formerly treated as conspecific with the Sulawesi brush cuckoo with the English name "rusty-breasted cuckoo".
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs across Sundaland and adjacent regions, including the Greater Sunda Islands, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, southern Thailand, and parts of the Philippines. Prefers subtropical and tropical moist lowland forest, but also uses forest edge, secondary growth, scrub, and plantations. It can be found along riverine corridors and occasionally in mangroves and coastal woodland. Often remains concealed within mid-story foliage, moving quietly between perches while calling.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Sunda brush cuckoo is a small brood-parasitic cuckoo that lays its eggs in the nests of other small birds, especially forest edge passerines. It is often heard before it is seen, giving a clear, repetitive whistle from mid-story perches. This species was formerly lumped with the Sulawesi brush cuckoo but is now treated as distinct. It tolerates disturbed habitats and secondary growth, which helps it persist across much of Sundaland.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically solitary outside the breeding season and tends to keep to dense foliage. As a brood parasite, the female places eggs in nests of small passerines; chicks are raised by the host species. Nests are not built by this species, and courtship involves persistent calling by males from concealed perches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, whistled series of repeated notes, often rising or slightly falling in pitch, delivered at regular intervals. Calls carry well through forest edge and secondary growth. Frequently vocal at dawn and late afternoon.
Plumage
Upperparts gray-brown with a slightly warmer brown mantle; underparts rich rufous to rusty-orange on the breast grading paler toward the belly. Tail is dark with narrow pale bars and distinct white tips. Throat is slightly paler with a subtle whitish wash; overall sleek, finely barred undertail visible in flight.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects, especially caterpillars, including hairy species avoided by many birds. Also takes beetles, grasshoppers, and other soft-bodied arthropods gleaned from leaves and branches. Occasionally sallies to catch prey flushed from foliage or snatches insects from bark surfaces. Foraging is deliberate, moving quietly through the mid-story.
Preferred Environment
Forages in mid-story and lower canopy of lowland forests, edges, and secondary growth. Readily uses wooded plantations, overgrown scrub, and riparian woodland where prey is abundant.
