Birdsong field guide
Indian Cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus
A medium-sized, secretive brood parasite of the cuckoo family, widely recognized by its distinctive and rhythmic four-note whistle heard across Asian woodlands.
What it sounds like
A loud, flute-like four-note whistle with a steady cadence, often transliterated as 'one-more-bottle' or 'orange-pekoe'.
Field notes
- It is an obligate brood parasite, primarily targeting the nests of drongos, crows, and shrikes.
- The species displays remarkable egg mimicry, with females producing eggs that closely match the color and patterning of their specific host's eggs.
- Unlike the Common Cuckoo, the Indian Cuckoo features a prominent broad black subterminal band on its tail.
- Their diet is specialized towards hairy caterpillars, which contain toxins that many other bird species cannot tolerate.
- Northern populations are migratory, with birds breeding in the Himalayas and Northern China traveling to Southern Asia and Indonesia for the winter.
Habitat
Deciduous and evergreen forests, open woodlands, and well-wooded urban gardens up to elevations of 3,000 meters.
Range
Broadly distributed across South, East, and Southeast Asia, including India, China, the Malay Peninsula, and Indonesia.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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