Sunda cuckoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sunda cuckoo |
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| Mount Kinabalu Nat’l Park - Sabah, Borneo - Malaysia | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cuculus
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| Species: |
lepidus
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The Sunda cuckoo (Cuculus lepidus) is a special type of bird found in South-east Asia. It belongs to the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. This bird was once thought to be the same as the Himalayan cuckoo and Oriental cuckoo. However, scientists now consider it a separate species. This is because it has a different voice, size, and plumage (feathers).
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What Does the Sunda Cuckoo Look Like?
The Sunda cuckoo is about 29 to 30 centimeters long. Its upper body, throat, and upper chest are dark grey. The rest of its belly is a light brownish color with black stripes. Its tail is blackish with white spots.
Female Sunda cuckoos can also look different. Some females have reddish-brown feathers on their upper body. Their underparts are lighter, and they have black stripes both above and below.
How is it Different from Other Cuckoos?
The Himalayan cuckoo and Oriental cuckoo look similar to the Sunda cuckoo. But they are usually lighter in color. Their underparts are less brownish, and their black stripes are thinner.
What Does the Sunda Cuckoo Sound Like?
The song of the Sunda cuckoo is quite unique. It usually starts with a short note. Then, it follows with two or three longer, lower "hoop" sounds. The entire song is higher-pitched than the Himalayan cuckoo's song. The Himalayan cuckoo usually makes three or four "hoop" notes.
Where Do Sunda Cuckoos Live?
The Sunda cuckoo lives in several places across Southeast Asia. You can find it in the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Seram, and the Lesser Sunda Islands. Its range extends east to Timor.
These cuckoos do not migrate, meaning they stay in the same area all year. This is different from the Himalayan and Oriental cuckoos, which move around during the northern winter.
What Kind of Home Do They Like?
Sunda cuckoos prefer to live in forests. They are mostly found in mountainous areas. They live at different heights depending on the region:
- In the Malay Peninsula, they live at 950 to 1700 meters high.
- In Borneo, they are found at 1300 to 2700 meters high.
- In Java, Sumatra, and Wallacea, they live above 1000 meters.
Scientists believe their numbers are slowly decreasing. However, they still have a large area where they live and a good population. Because of this, BirdLife International lists their status as "Least Concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
What Do Sunda Cuckoos Eat?
Sunda cuckoos mainly eat insects. They especially love to eat caterpillars. They will also eat fruit sometimes. These birds are quite shy and hard to spot. You usually only notice them when they are singing.
How Do Sunda Cuckoos Reproduce?
The Sunda cuckoo is a brood parasite. This means it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. It tricks other birds into raising its young!
Scientists have seen Sunda cuckoos using the nests of several different birds:
- In the Malay Peninsula, they use the nests of the chestnut-crowned warbler.
- In Sabah, they use the nests of the mountain leaf warbler and yellow-breasted warbler.
- In Java, they use the nests of the mountain leaf warbler, Sunda warbler, and Sunda bush warbler.
The eggs of the Sunda cuckoo are whitish with brown spots.
Images for kids
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Mount Kinabalu Nat’l Park - Sabah, Borneo - Malaysia
