Sulawesi Cuckoo
Cuculus crassirostris
A large, long-tailed cuckoo with chocolate-brown upperparts and tail, a contrasting pale gray head, and thickly barred underparts. Juvenile has a black head and whitish underside. A seldom-seen bird of forested lowlands and mountains, most abundant in the foothills. Distinguished from most other cuckoos by the heavy barring below and the brown back. Separated from Large Hawk-Cuckuoo by smaller size, absence of throat streaking, and lack of any rufous throat coloration. Distinctive call, often given before dawn, is rapid, three-note “kaka-koo.”
Identification
The Sulawesi cuckoo (Cuculus crassirostris) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is often known as the Sulawesi hawk-cuckoo but appears not to be related to the other hawk-cuckoos. It is endemic to Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Taxonomy
Genus: Cuculus; Family: Cuculidae; Order: Cuculiformes.
- Scientific name
- Cuculus crassirostris
- Authority
- (Walden, 1872)
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Cuculus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Migration pattern: Vertical migration.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds

Greenish Yellow-Finch
Sicalis olivascens
Common in foothills of the Andes, from barren rocky canyons to villages, agricultural terraces, and scrubby hillsides, mainly at lower elevations than Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, which favors puna habitats. Male is well-named—drab greenish yellow overall. Female is notably drab and nondescript. In all plumages note lack of any streaking or contrastingly bright yellow areas. Compare with longer-winged Greater Yellow-Finch (some overlap of range in winter).

Southern Penduline-Tit
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A tiny, short-tailed bird with a small fine bill, yellowish underparts, a green back, and a gray head with fine grizzled black-and-white scaly patterning on the forehead. Pairs and small groups forage restlessly for invertebrates and fruits, dangling upside down while they search. The species occurs in desert and semi-desert scrub, preferring taller thorn trees for nesting. It is often detected by its song, a repeated series of 5-7 high-pitched “chiueew” notes. Multiple birds may also give simple high-pitched tinkling and rasping notes. The similar African Penduline-Tit differs from Southern Penduline-Tit in areas of overlap by being smaller, lacking a grizzled forehead, and having buff (not yellowish) underparts.

Orinoco Piculet
Picumnus pumilus
This scarce piculet is known only from a few locations in the humid lowlands of eastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, and northwestern Brazil. Its underparts are entirely barred, but upperparts are plain, lacking the barring shown by the otherwise very similar Lafresnaye’s Piculet. Inhabits light woodland and forest edge, and not found inside tall rainforest. Song is a high pitched “seep, seep, seep”, though sometimes only one or two notes are given. Call is a short, erratic trill.
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