Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo |
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|---|---|
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| At Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hierococcyx
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| Species: |
nisicolor
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The Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo (Hierococcyx nisicolor) is a special type of cuckoo bird. It is also known as the whistling hawk-cuckoo because of its calls. You can find this bird in parts of India, Myanmar, southern China, and southeast Asia.
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A Sneaky Strategy: Brood Parasitism
Hodgson's hawk-cuckoos are known for a unique behavior called brood parasitism. This means they don't build their own nests. Instead, the female cuckoo lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species. These other birds become the "foster parents."
When a Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo chick hatches, it often pushes the original eggs or chicks out of the nest. This makes sure it is the only baby left. Being the only chick means it gets all the food and attention from the foster parents.
Tricking Foster Parents
Normally, if there's only one chick in a nest, the parents might bring less food. This is because they see only one open mouth, or "gape," asking for food. But the Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo chick has a clever trick!
It has bright, colorful patches of skin under its wings. These patches look a bit like extra open mouths. When the foster parents come with food, the cuckoo chick shows these patches. This makes the parents think there are more hungry babies in the nest.
This trick works very well. The foster parents bring more food than they would for just one chick. Sometimes, the parents even try to put food directly into these skin patches! This shows how convincing the trick is. Other cuckoos, like the common cuckoo, use loud, fast calls to get more food instead.
Different Kinds of Hawk-Cuckoos
Scientists used to think that Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo was just one species with a few different types. But now, they know it's more complicated. What was once called one species is now split into several different ones.
For example, the Philippine hawk-cuckoo is now its own species. The remaining birds are also divided into three separate species. These include the Malaysian hawk-cuckoo, the Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo itself, and the rufous hawk-cuckoo.
Who Was Hodgson?
The common name "Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo" honors a British naturalist named Brian Houghton Hodgson. A naturalist is someone who studies nature, including plants and animals. He helped us learn a lot about the natural world.
