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The plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) is a species of bird belonging to the genus Cacomantis in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is native to Asia, from India, Nepal and China to Indonesia.
Scientific Name : Cacomantis merulinus
Family : Cuculidae
Order : Cuculiformes
Class : Aves
Type : Cuckoos
Conservation Status : Least concern (LC)
Size : 21 – 24 cm
Migratory : Resident
Sex Alike : No
Habitat:
The plaintive cuckoo inhabits forest edge, open woodland, scrub, grassland, farmland, parks and gardens
Breeding:
It is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of cisticolas, prinias and tailorbirds. The eggs are similar to those of the host species but are larger
Feeding:
It feeds on invertebrates
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Upperparts | grey-brown |
| Head | grey |
| Throat | grey |
| Breast | grey half from above; orange in lower half |
| Belly | orange |
| Vent | orange |
| Tail | tail feathers are dark-grey and have white tips |
| Legs | yellow |
| toes | yellow |
| Eyes | red |
| Upper mandible | black |
| Lower mandible | yellow tipped with black |
| Female | |
|---|---|
| Upperparts | reddish-brown with with dark bars |
| Underparts | whitish with fainter black barring |
| Tail | has dark bars along its whole length |
| Crown | reddish-brown with with dark bars |
| Nape | reddish-brown with with dark bars |
| Throat | paller reddish-brown with fainter barring |
| Note : The adult female is sometimes similar to the male but often occurs in a hepatic morph |
|
| Juvenile | |
|---|---|
| Note : similar to hepatic females but are paler and have dark streaks rather than bars on the crown and throat |
