Asian Emerald Cuckoo

The Asian emerald cuckoo, with its scientific name Chrysococcyx maculatus, is a small, striking bird measuring approximately 18 cm in length. The male of the species boasts an iridescent dark green plumage on its head, upper parts, and upper breast, contrasting with a white lower breast and a belly barred with green. Around its eye, one can observe bare orange skin, and its beak is an orange-yellow, tipped with black. The female, on the other hand, displays coppery-green upper parts with a rusty brown crown and nape, and her underparts are barred with green. In flight, both sexes reveal a distinctive white band on the underwing.

Identification Tips

To identify the Asian emerald cuckoo, look for the male's iridescent green plumage and the female's coppery tones. The white lower breast of the male and the white band on the underwing during flight are also key identification features. The juvenile male may be recognized by the absence of the white lower breast and more pronounced barring on the underparts.

Habitat

This cuckoo favors subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, where it can often be found in the upper levels of the canopy.

Distribution

The Asian emerald cuckoo's breeding range spans from the Himalayas to Myanmar, China, and northern Thailand. It is also seen as a vagrant or migrant in northern India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Sumatra, though it is not known to breed in these regions.

Behaviour

The Asian emerald cuckoo is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of other bird species such as the crimson sunbird and the little spiderhunter. It mainly forages in the upper canopy, agilely moving through the foliage.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of this species include a sharp “chweek” typically heard during flight, as well as a variety of whistled twitters that add to the auditory tapestry of its forest habitat.

Breeding

As a brood parasite, the Asian emerald cuckoo does not build its own nest but instead relies on the nests of other birds to raise its young.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Asian emerald cuckoo consists of insects and other small invertebrates, such as ants, caterpillars, and bugs, which it adeptly captures in the forest canopy.

Conservation status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the Asian emerald cuckoo as "Least Concern." Despite its wide range and general rarity, the species is believed to have a stable population with no significant threats identified at present.