The violet cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Found from northeastern India and Myanmar through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, extending down the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Borneo, and Java, and on parts of the Philippines. Prefers lowland and foothill evergreen forests, forest edges, and secondary growth, and also uses plantations and wooded gardens near forest. It forages mainly in the mid- to upper canopy but descends to edges and clearings when trees are fruiting. Often occurs singly or in pairs in well-wooded habitats and along rivers or forest tracks.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The violet cuckoo is a small, iridescent cuckoo famed for its metallic purple sheen and bright yellow bill. Like many cuckoos, it is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of small passerines such as sunbirds and flowerpeckers. It frequently eats hairy caterpillars that many other birds avoid. Males are conspicuous in the canopy, while females are more cryptic and bronzy-green.
Violet Cuckoo at Salt Lake, Kolkata
Temperament
secretive and canopy-dwelling
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with direct flights between canopy perches
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, moving quietly through the mid- to upper canopy. It is a brood parasite, laying eggs in the nests of small insectivores and nectarivores and leaving incubation and chick-rearing to the host species. Courtship involves display flights and calling from high perches.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles and a clear, repetitive see-see-see or descending series. Calls carry well through the canopy and are often the easiest way to detect the species.
Plumage
Male with glossy, iridescent violet-purple upperparts and throat, contrasting with white underparts boldly barred in black; tail shows pale tips. Female is bronze-green above with white underparts marked by rufous and dark barring and a more cryptic appearance. Both sexes show fine, sleek plumage typical of Chrysococcyx cuckoos.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects, especially caterpillars (including hairy species), beetles, and other arthropods gleaned from foliage and twigs. It also takes small fruits and berries when available. Prey is often picked methodically from leaves or taken during short sallies from a perch.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the canopy and subcanopy of primary and secondary forests, along edges, riverine woods, and in mixed-species flocks at times. Will visit fruiting trees in plantations and gardens adjacent to forest.
