The Timor cicadabird is a passerine bird in the family Campephagidae that is found on the islands of Lembata, Alor and Timor in Indonesia. The species was formerly considered to be conspecific with the common cicadabird, now renamed the Sahul cicadabird.
Region
Lesser Sunda Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs on Timor, Alor, and Lembata in the eastern Lesser Sundas, within both primary and secondary forests. It favors mid-story to upper canopy strata but will use forest edges, wooded ravines, and semi-evergreen thickets. It can persist in selectively logged forest and sometimes in taller secondary growth or agroforests if large trees remain. Riparian corridors with mature cover are also used. It is generally local but can be fairly common where habitat is intact.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Timor cicadabird is a slender canopy-dwelling cuckooshrike that hunts insects with quiet precision. Males give a buzzing, cicada-like call that inspired the group’s common name. It was formerly lumped with the common (Sahul) cicadabird but is now recognized as a distinct island-endemic taxon.
Temperament
solitary and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with direct bursts between trees
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks in the canopy. Pairs maintain small territories during the breeding season. The nest is a small, neat cup placed on a horizontal branch or fork, with both sexes likely involved in care. Breeding timing follows local seasonal rains.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls include dry, buzzing trills and raspy notes reminiscent of cicadas, delivered from high perches. Songs are simple series of nasal or buzzing phrases repeated at intervals, often hard to locate in dense canopy.
