Asian Emerald Cuckoo – immature males

“I spotted two immature male Asian Emerald Cuckoos (Chrysococcyx maculatus) today (above). Both were self-feeding with a Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus threnodes) also present. They were busy picking caterpillars off Spondias dulcis (syn. Spondias cytherea) trees in an abandoned, overgrown fruit farm (this plant is commonly known as Ambarella and locally as Kedondong) (below).

“Caterpillars were branch swiped before being consumed. I watched for ~ 30 minutes to allow them to get used to me. They consumed a number of prey but also took time to just sit immobile; they are described as ‘sluggish’.

“Cuckoos of the World by Johannes Erritzøe, Clive F. Mann, Frederik P. Brammer and Richard A. Fuller, Helm 2012 describes juveniles as having either a rufous or green head. Here the presence of a red iris and eye-rim with green on the back of the head point to immature males. Post 1-4 is of one of the 2 birds (younger of the two)”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
30th January 2018

Location: Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Secondary growth at city fringe