Sunda brush cuckoo

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".

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Distribution

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

Characteristics

Size20–23 cm

Wing Span32–36 cm

Male Weight0.034 kg

Female Weight0.031 kg

Life Expectancy8 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

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.

Behaviour

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.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Sunda collared dove

The Sunda collared dove, sometimes referred to as the island collared dove, Javanese turtle dove, Javanese collared dove, or Indonesian collared dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. Sometimes confused with the Eurasian collared dove which is very similar in appearance, the Sunda collared dove is a small to medium-sized bird, native to the tropical and subtropical islands of Indonesia.

Sunda coucal

The Sunda coucal, also known as the Javanese lathe, is a cuckoo species in the family Cuculidae that is endemic to Java, Indonesia. It inhabits mangroves, freshwater swamp forests and grasslands near brackish water. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1994, as the small population is threatened by habitat destruction and trapping. It feeds on grasshoppers, ground beetles, moths, geckos, snakes and frogs; it was also observed while picking rice seeds in a paddy field.

Sunda crow

The Sunda crow is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae that is found in South-East Asia, from Malaysia to Borneo. The Sunda crow is part of the Corvus enca species complex, which was formerly treated as a single species and known as the slender-billed crow. The complex is now treated as five species, after four subspecies were split off as distinct species: the Samar crow or small crow, the Palawan crow, the Sulawesi crow and the Sierra Madre crow. The violet crow was also once included, but has been shown to be distinct genetically and separated as Corvus violaceus.

Sunda cuckoo

The Sunda cuckoo or Sunda lesser cuckoo is a South-east Asian bird belonging to the genus Cuculus in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It was formerly classified with the Himalayan cuckoo and Oriental cuckoo in a single species, C. saturatus, but is now often regarded as a separate species based on differences in voice, size and plumage.

Sunda forktail

The Sunda forktail is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is restricted to the islands of Java and Sumatra. Its natural habitat is boulder strewn streams in tropical moist montane forest from 600–2000 m. More rarely the species occurs closer to sea level. The species is common in Sumatra, but is rarer in Java, where the white-crowned forktail is more common.