Philippine Hawk-cuckoo
Encyclopedia
The Philippine Hawk-Cuckoo (Cuculus pectoralis) is a bird
belonging to the cuckoo
family. It is found only in the Philippines
. It was formerly classified as a subspecies
of Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo
(C. fugax) but is now commonly treated as a separate species based on differences in vocalizations.
It is a medium-sized cuckoo, about 29 centimetres in length. The adult is dark-grey above and white below with a pale rufous breast and upper belly. The tail has three or four black and buff bars, a broad black band near the tip and a pale rufous tip. There is a bare yellow ring around the eye. The legs and feet are also yellow and the bill
is black and olive. Immature birds have rufous barring above and brown streaks below.
The bird has a high-pitched call of five to seven notes. The call lasts for about 1.5 seconds and is repeated up to 10 times, becoming louder and faster.
It is found on most of the larger islands of the Philippines, occurring up to 2,300 metres above sea-level. It inhabits forest
and forest edge where it forages from near the ground up to the treetops. It is an uncommon bird and is usually shy and difficult to see. Its breeding season begins in April.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
belonging to the cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
family. It is found only in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It was formerly classified as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo
Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo
The Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo, Cuculus fugax is a species of cuckoo found in south, east and southeast Asia.Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo is a brood parasite. The chick evicts bona fide residents of the parasitized nest, thus becoming the sole occupant. Under normal circumstances, this would reduce the...
(C. fugax) but is now commonly treated as a separate species based on differences in vocalizations.
It is a medium-sized cuckoo, about 29 centimetres in length. The adult is dark-grey above and white below with a pale rufous breast and upper belly. The tail has three or four black and buff bars, a broad black band near the tip and a pale rufous tip. There is a bare yellow ring around the eye. The legs and feet are also yellow and the bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
is black and olive. Immature birds have rufous barring above and brown streaks below.
The bird has a high-pitched call of five to seven notes. The call lasts for about 1.5 seconds and is repeated up to 10 times, becoming louder and faster.
It is found on most of the larger islands of the Philippines, occurring up to 2,300 metres above sea-level. It inhabits forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
and forest edge where it forages from near the ground up to the treetops. It is an uncommon bird and is usually shy and difficult to see. Its breeding season begins in April.